Giving Circles in the News
"Empty Bowls a Booming Success!"
The Giving Circle of Hope had considered last year's Empty Bowls fund raiser to be at capacity with about 500 guests. The group still managed to get even more people into this year's event. "We were hoping for 500, but I think we're going to get 600 here before we're done," said Peggy Cressy, one of the event chairs, as guests continued to stream into St. John Neumann Catholic Church last Friday evening, April 9 - The Reston Connection, April 14, 2010
"Women Helping Out Women"
When $1,000 or less prevents a woman in dire circumstances from taking a major step toward reversing the downward spiral of her life, the Response Network of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County comes alive - The Baltimore Sun, February 21, 2010
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT) Hosts Membership Meeting
AAWGT, a women's giving circle focused on improving the lives of women and families in Anne Arundel County is pleased to announce a membership event featuring its 2008 grantee organizations. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear firsthand from grantees about how AAWGT grants made a difference in the lives of women and families over the past year. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at the Chartwell Country Club, 1 Chartwell Drive in Severna Park, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The event is open to the public, and will give interested women an opportunity to learn more about AAWGT, and to get involved in its efforts to support at-risk women and families in Anne Arundel County.
"Women's Giving Circle: The New Generation"
When one Howard County mother needed a $400 deposit for summer camp for her twin special-needs daughters in June, the Women's Giving Circle (WGC) of Howard County didn't hesitate to intervene. An e-mail went out to hundreds of the group's members explaining the situation and asking who could help. Within four hours the amount was secured. WGC, a fund of The Columbia Foundation, makes philanthropy accessible to women of all economic levels, because as all the members believe, $5 equals $500 when women give together - HOWARD Magazine, August 2009
Baltimore Women's Giving Circle Grants Make Big Impact
The Baltimore Women's Giving Circle (BWGC), a fund of BCF, awarded over $300,000 to 19 nonprofits serving low-income women and children in Baltimore City and County - August 11, 2009
"Giving Circles: Getting the Biggest Bang for the Buck"
Want to be Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey when it comes to giving back to others? You don't have to be a billionaire. At least not if you consider creating or joining a giving circle. A giving circle allows individual donors to join together with others to make decisions about how a charitable is spent - Money Matters & More, May 20, 2009
New! "The Impact of Giving Together"
Giving circles have emerged over the last decade as a growing and significant philanthropic trend among donors of all wealth levels and backgrounds. A new report, "The Impact of Giving Together", finds that donors in giving circles give more, give more strategically, and are more engaged in their local communities - May 14, 2009
"Mother-Daughter Talks Wrapping Up"
The Horizon Councils and Women's Giving Circle of Howard County are concluding their series of discussions for mothers and their teenage daughters, "Mean Girls: Queen Bees, Gamma Girls and Surviving the Female Hierarchy" - The Baltimore Sun, April 26, 2009
"Empty Bowls Filled to Capacity"
Giving Circle's fund raiser for Food for Others tops last year's original event
When St. John Neumann Church opened its doors for the Empty Bowls fund raiser Friday evening, April 17, about 50 people were already lined up to get in, Linda Strup said. "By 5:30, we had them pressing at the doors," said Mary Narayan, who, 15 minutes later, was delaying people at the door to prevent overcrowding. This is the second year that the Reston-based Giving Circle of Hope, of which Strup and Narayan are founding members, hosted the fund raiser to benefit Food for Others. Last year's event had brought in more than 400 people and raised $17,000 for the charity. This year's was even bigger - The Reston Connection, April 21, 2009
"Women's Giving Circle Hosts Science Career Event"
Mammas, don't let your daughters grow up to work minimum wage jobs. Encourage them to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or math. The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County along with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab and Math Engineering Science Achievement will hold a free introduction to these exciting and rewarding careers at APL in the Kosiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Sunday, March 1, 3-5 p.m. Parents should come with their middle and high school girls. Don't miss this opportunity. With effort and encouragement, there is no limit to what your daughters can achieve - Howard County Times, February 26, 2009
"Giving Circle's Annual Giveaway"
Reston organization hits $250,000 in donations on fifth anniversary
"This is the proudest moment of the year for us," Diana Katz of Reston's Giving Circle of Hope told the crowd gathered at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne last Friday evening. The group was celebrating its fifth anniversary with wine, hors d'oeuvres and the giveaway of a total of $55,000 in grants to select, local nonprofits - The Reston Connection, February 4, 2009
Women's Giving Circle Elects 2009 Officers and Board
The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County has elected officers and Advisory Board members for 2009. Officers include Chair Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz and Vice Chair Cynthia Taliano, who is also Chair of Donor Development, and Treasurer Pamela Sorota-Mowery - January 2009
“Honor Someone Special” Response to Women & Girls Fund Campaign Exceeds Expectations
When the Board of the Women & Girls Fund rolled out its “Honor Someone Special” Campaign in December, it hoped it had an idea the community would get behind. The campaign, which provides an opportunity to honor a special person through a $10 donation to the Fund, seems to be just that and more. Fund president Valerie Lamont explains: “The 'Honor Someone Special' Campaign seems to have struck a chord among Eastern Shore residents. Not only has the response to the campaign in terms of donations exceeded our expectations thus far, but we have been touched by the enthusiasm of donors and recipients alike.”
Journey Girls Make Awards to Local Women
Delegates to Journey 2008 honored a dozen local residents in “A Celebration of Women” awards banquet Dec. 13, at Howard Community College. The awardees included professional and civic leaders and philanthropists, as well as other women role models who have overcome personal hardships and obstacles to attaining their goals in life.
"So, You Want to Be a Philanthropist?"
You don’t have to be Rockefeller rich to give away money like a Rockefeller. It’s easier than ever to set up a family foundation, donor-advised fund, or giving circle – Washingtonian Magazine, December 1, 2008
"How to Give Away $500,000"
Through the growing trend of giving circles, the collective power of small donations can make a big difference. Just ask some of the women pouring money into groups across the country - MSN Money, December 1, 2008
WGC Sponsors Financial Literacy Workshop
The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC) sponsored a two-part personal money management workshop for a woman’s group at the North Laurel-Savage Multiservice Center in December of 2008.
“The Power of Giving”
Over the last five years, the concept of giving together through a giving circle has taken off,” says Betsy Nelson, executive director of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG), a philanthropy resource - Maryland Life Magazine, November 2008
“Get Together for Greater Good”
Some of us get discouraged when we think about how little our modest $25 or $50 contributions can really do for organizations with serious problems to solve and big budgets to balance. We ask ourselves, “Does this drop in the bucket really make a difference?” But what if it wasn’t just your $25, but the $25 of all of your neighbors, friends, and family pulled together? That would create a much bigger splash - Razoo.com, November 2008
"As Women's Incomes Rise, So Do Their Donations" 
Women, propelled by increased earning power and more financial independence, are becoming a recognized force in charitable giving. But it doesn’t take storied wealth to become a donor. Women like Linda Odum, a real estate agent in Columbia, Md., are pooling their money to make a difference - New York Times, November 11, 2008
Anne Donahue had always enjoyed philanthropy, but once she joined a giving circle, she learned the power of giving with a purpose - The Daily Record, June 26, 2008
"Grassroots Philanthropy"
"Charity for All"
"Giving Circles: Women See Power of Pooling Funds
for Philanthropy"
New! "A Handbook for Giving Circle Hosts"
The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers announced the release of a new report on the relationship between giving circles and their host organizations, Hosting a Giving Circle: The Benefits and Challenges of Giving Together. Included is a handbook of tools for giving circle host organizations, in particular community foundations, A Handbook for Giving Circle Hosts: Tools and Resources for Developing and Sustaining Giving Circles.
"Giving Circles"
With the markets sinking, a lot of retirees may be cutting back on charitable giving along with their discretionary spending. But it's still possible to effect a philanthropic impact by organizing or joining a giving circle. Much like investment clubs, giving circles consist of a small group of friends who pool their resources and gather--often over a potluck dinner--to pick charitable causes to donate to. Such circles have become especially popular among aging boomers looking for a way to bring meaning as well as fun into their retirement years - TIME Magazine, November 5, 2008
“A Circle With a Deep Center”
About two dozen women formed a circle around Claudia Thorne's dining table and held hands. The women of varied ages and backgrounds make up a sisterhood of philanthropy working to change the lives of the District's women and girls by confronting the city's social ills. As members of the African American Women's Giving Circle, they pool their charitable dollars, debate their passions and award grants – The Washington Post, July 31, 2008A new form of philanthropy has emerged in the form of "Giving Circles" where community members pool their money together and decide collectively where to donate it – Reported by Jessica Forres, WAMU Radio News,88.5, July 21, 2008.For some the world of philanthropy has seemed the domain of the moneyed few, a luxury for "the other half." But a growing development in that arena has taken hold, opening philanthropy up to the masses in a user-friendly way: giving circles - The Baltimore Sun, July 6, 2008
Women's Giving Circle of Hope Receives $5,000 Grant from AVON
Congratulations to Linda Strup, co-Chair and Founder of the Women's Giving Circle of Hope in Reston, VA, for receiving a $5,000 grant from AVON to provide self-esteem workshops for homeless women.
"Jewish Women's Giving Foundation Awards $100,500 in Grants"
The Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation (JWGF), a program of The Women’s Department of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, has awarded grants totaling $100,500 – the largest allocation in its five-year history – to seven organizations that improve the lives of women and girls.
"Women Pool Resources to Award Over $300,000 to 19 Local Nonprofits"
Baltimore, MD, 06/09/08 - The Baltimore Women's Giving Circle (BWGC) will award more than $300,000 in grants to 19 Baltimore area nonprofit organizations this year. The Circle, a group of female donors who have pooled their charitable dollars—each member contributing $1,100 yearly—decides together where those dollars will be spent. Selected from 77 applicants, the 19 organizations’ programs and services match BWGC’s goal of improving life and promoting self-sufficiency for economically disadvantaged women and their children in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together Presents Grants
On June 11, 2008, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together presented $57,000 in grants to 6 nonprofits in Anne Arundel County.
“Giving Circles Mix Fun and Fundraising”
When they began meeting in 2000, the Wine Ladies of Oshkosh, Wis., got together mainly to share their ups and downs, to have a good time — and to drink some wine. They still drink wine and share good times, but now they also raise money — and give it away – USA Today, February 27, 2008
"Giving Circles"
Simple, personalized charity groups with the power to make big changes
A few years ago, a group of urban residents found themselves in a faltering city. Crime, unemployment, failing schools and vacant lots had turned Cleveland into a place thousands of people decided was best seen through the rearview mirror. But rather than ditch their hometown, these friends decided to make it better. They formed a giving circle, one of 400 or more around the country that pool money and donate time to nurture neighborhoods and support local causes - Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, January 2007
Survey Finds New Generational Trend in Women's Philanthropy - December 2007
Women of two important generations are practicing philanthropy in some very different ways according to a new generational survey funded by The Falconer Group, a family wealth advisory firm located in Traverse City, Michigan. The national survey using SurveyMonkey consisted of 62 questions and focused on Baby Boomer women born between 1945 and 1960 and Gen X women born between 1961 and 1980.
"The Philanthropist's Toolkit"
By her own admission, 40-year-old Ellicott City native Jennifer Kozak did not come from a family that gave away a lot of money. Because Kozak is not male, wealthy, or retired, hers might not be the profile that springs to mind when you think about what a philanthropist looks like. But she belongs to an organization that has awarded more than $1 million to seventy-seven charities in the Baltimore area - The Urbanite Magazine, December 2007
"Share the Wealth: Giving Circles"
More and more women are pooling their money in giving circles and watching their donations make a bigger difference -- you can too - Family Circle Magazine, December 2007
"Giving Circles, a National Trend, Prove Popular Here in Maryland"
Across the country, groups of friends who are getting together and giving together are changing the landscape of philanthropy - The Business Monthly, September 2007
"Squaring Local Issues With Giving Circles"
The concept was simple: a group of people form a giving circle, pool their money, decide where to give it and together learn about their community and philanthropy. The collective becomes more powerful than the individual - The Financial Times, September 7, 2007
Anne Arundel Women Giving Together To Hold Grants Showcase
September 19, 2007 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Frances Scott Key Auditorium
St. Johns College, Annapolis
View invitation and RSVP
"Charitable Giving: Giving Circles, a National Trend, Prove Popular Here in Maryland"
As one of the founding members of the Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle, I now join with more than 260 committed women who are seeking to improve life for disadvantaged women and their families in the Baltimore area. Turns out, my experience makes me part of a growing national circle of givers - Betsy Nelson, The Daily Record, June 8, 2007
"Anne Arundel Women Giving Together Announces Grants of $40,000 to Anne Arundel County Nonprofits"
July 2, 2007 - Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT), a women’s giving circle, is pleased to announce its first round of grants, totaling nearly $40,000, to support initiatives for at-risk women and families in Anne Arundel County. AAWGT received grant requests totaling more than $218,000 from 26 local nonprofit organizations.