Speaking of Circles, check out Citizen Circles! They’ve help facilitate a number of Circles in a variety of locations, and are particularly receptive to developing curricula based on the needs and interests of participants.
I am a member of a donor circle which operates under the umbrella of the Women’s Foundation of California. It has the characteristics outlined by Professor Thompson - egalitarian, voluntary, group determined purpose, shared leadership. While it attracts women who want to do good and make change in the local community through collaborative giving, I think that almost as important is the opportunity it provides for the members to grow as individuals by learning from the other members (who have a wide range of background and experience); and it also provides an enjoyable social network. So a circle can achieve many things at the same time. For me, being part of this donor circle has been a powerful experience, and one that I would thoroughly encourage other women to explore, especially if they are just starting to think of themselves as “philanthropists” and don’t know where to start.
Women’s Foundation of California webpage on donor circles here: http://bit.ly/tuatGd
The Awesome Foundation (http://awesomefoundation.org/), a grassroots movement for micro-philanthropy and supporting “awesome” community projects, is another example of circles. We have 25 independent chapters around the world that give out $1000 (or local equivalent) micro-grants to delightful creative and charitable projects that sometimes fall through the gaps of traditional philanthropy. Each chapter is a circle, while the larger circle of international chapters has also proved to be a powerful platform for forging friendships and professional connections.
Thanks very much for this article. I found it both helpful and inspiring. 5 for Fairness (http://5forfairness.org) is an online giving circle dedicated to supporting nonprofits working on behalf of girls around the world. Our members donate a minimum of $5 when they join, and 100% of their donation goes into our collective grant account. When the account grows to $5000, our members vote to decide which nonprofit deserves the grant, choosing from among organizations proposed by, and advocated for, our members.
Love the article! In the late 90’s we created a program we called Circles of Change that continues to impact how we and thousands others do leadership in Haiti. Here’s video https://youtu.be/g4fU-O-umww. Learn more about our work at http://www.haitipartners.org
COMMENTS
BY Nabil Hashmi, Compass Partners
ON August 23, 2011 02:47 PM
Speaking of Circles, check out Citizen Circles! They’ve help facilitate a number of Circles in a variety of locations, and are particularly receptive to developing curricula based on the needs and interests of participants.
http://www.citizencircles.com/
BY Michelle Cale
ON November 10, 2011 11:38 AM
I am a member of a donor circle which operates under the umbrella of the Women’s Foundation of California. It has the characteristics outlined by Professor Thompson - egalitarian, voluntary, group determined purpose, shared leadership. While it attracts women who want to do good and make change in the local community through collaborative giving, I think that almost as important is the opportunity it provides for the members to grow as individuals by learning from the other members (who have a wide range of background and experience); and it also provides an enjoyable social network. So a circle can achieve many things at the same time. For me, being part of this donor circle has been a powerful experience, and one that I would thoroughly encourage other women to explore, especially if they are just starting to think of themselves as “philanthropists” and don’t know where to start.
Women’s Foundation of California webpage on donor circles here: http://bit.ly/tuatGd
BY Rich Tafel, Public Squared
ON November 11, 2011 11:27 AM
Great piece Tracey. I really think this is the structure to be used for the future of social impact!
BY Lee-Sean Huang
ON November 14, 2011 01:41 PM
The Awesome Foundation (http://awesomefoundation.org/), a grassroots movement for micro-philanthropy and supporting “awesome” community projects, is another example of circles. We have 25 independent chapters around the world that give out $1000 (or local equivalent) micro-grants to delightful creative and charitable projects that sometimes fall through the gaps of traditional philanthropy. Each chapter is a circle, while the larger circle of international chapters has also proved to be a powerful platform for forging friendships and professional connections.
BY Anna McDonnell, 5 for Fairness
ON November 19, 2011 05:50 PM
Thanks very much for this article. I found it both helpful and inspiring. 5 for Fairness (http://5forfairness.org) is an online giving circle dedicated to supporting nonprofits working on behalf of girls around the world. Our members donate a minimum of $5 when they join, and 100% of their donation goes into our collective grant account. When the account grows to $5000, our members vote to decide which nonprofit deserves the grant, choosing from among organizations proposed by, and advocated for, our members.
BY johnengle, Haiti Partners
ON December 15, 2015 03:56 AM
Love the article! In the late 90’s we created a program we called Circles of Change that continues to impact how we and thousands others do leadership in Haiti. Here’s video https://youtu.be/g4fU-O-umww. Learn more about our work at http://www.haitipartners.org