Womens Giving Circle group February 2025

Women participating in the February, 2025 gathering of the Women’s Giving Circle are joined here by Foundation President and CEO, Kathy Taylor (center).

 

“Joyful and transformative and collaborative and intentional.” 

This is how philanthropy disrupter Sara Lomelin describes the value of participating in a giving circle1 — a group of people with shared values and a community mindset who come together to strengthen their social fabric and make change by helping to fund diverse solutions to issues of concern.

According to a recent report from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, the collective giving movement that began in earnest in the early 2000s is gaining more momentum each year in the U.S.  Between 2017 and 2023, nearly 4,000 collective giving groups mobilized approximately 370,000 philanthropists to donate more than $3.1 billion — indicating more than 140% growth in both participation and total monetary donations.2

Women are finding their strength in numbers and leading this growth, with the data showing an overwhelming presence of women in group membership and leadership of collective giving groups. And the positive impact seems to flow in all directions. 2  “When faced with an environmental stressor, women are more likely to adopt a tend-and-befriend strategy rather than fight-or-flight ,” increasing their potential to be more effective at providing social support, and this has educational, psychological, physical wellness, and professional development benefits for the ‘givers’ as well as those who are being helped.3

The practice of collective giving has its own ripple effects – democratizing philanthropy and increasing advocacy around issues that matter most to the local community.  The “In Abundance” report also demonstrates that collective giving groups “showed much more interest in supporting human rights …with 81% prioritizing racial equity, 73% social rights, and 70% gender equity.” 2  Philanthropy Together describes how “Collective giving shifts who gives, how we give, and ultimately what gets funded. This practice strengthens community ties, provides the space to practice democracy, and increases civic engagement—together these are crucial to building a thriving multiracial democracy that underpins all the other issues of building an equitable world.”5

Baba Frew, a member of Connecticut Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle, emphasizes the value of learning together about the local issues and groups that may benefit most from their support. She says success flows from “the deep commitment of women throughout the region working in collaboration to both learn about the organizations that are making a difference to girls and women in the Greater Waterbury area, as well as using their collective economic power to have a positive impact on the community.”

In addition to creating real, substantive change in their communities, many women report the personal sense of empowerment that collaborative giving offers them. If ‘money talks,’ then their voices are amplified, and the impact of their combined funds is more significant. Jill Coleman of Sister fund says  “One of the shifts within these giving circles, and particularly for African American women and girls giving circles, is that we find ourselves as donors and philanthropists before we knew what philanthropy was. … We are philanthropists in our own right. … To be able to redefine ourselves in a collective way is important. When I try to recruit other women to join the circle, and I say, ‘Your $500, $1,100, it’s good. But imagine if you did that with 30 other women?’ 2

Now imagine the increased impact as more women are gaining in their personal wealth and ability to contribute. Economic trends show that women “are controlling ever-greater sums of money around the world, setting the stage for major shifts in wealth management and philanthropy,” and that “women tend to give based on empathy … and to spread their giving across more organizations.”6  

Hannah Alley-Keller, Chair of Connecticut Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle, reflects “In a world where it often feels like there is more dividing us than bringing us together, it is critical to find individuals willing to collaborate on solving issues and investing in the people at the heart of their communities. That is what the Circle does. We are a group of changemakers who believe that when we support women, we all thrive. It is an honor to work with a passionate and dedicated group of women to uplift others in our community for a more equitable future for all.”

This International Women’s Day, please consider joining the Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle. Our next event will be in April, 2025.

This circle of community-minded, generous women is seeding positive growth and abundance right here at home. What could be a more beautiful and powerful way to enter Spring?

 

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