Description
What is a giving circle?
The premise behind a giving circle is simple: working together, we can accomplish more than we could working alone. Circles are groups of like-minded people who want to pool their skills and resources to contribute to a cause they care about. The common goal of all giving circles is to raise awareness and also money—sometimes just from circle members and sometimes from others, too—and then donate the money to an organization that supports the circle’s chosen cause.
In the same way that book clubs give readers a reason to finish a book, a giving circle can be a way that friends stay committed to the causes they care about. Giving circles can foster a sense of energy and spirit, providing members with the inspiration they need to reach their giving goals.
Giving circles can take many forms:
- Size—Circles can be made up of only a few or hundreds of members.
- Structure—Smaller circles may have an informal structure, while larger circles may be more formalized, with voting structures in place, assigned group roles and even tax-exempt status.
- Donations—Each giving circle must decide how much money it’s able to donate to its cause.
