Sometimes known as “giving circles,” most collective giving grantmaking groups are women-centric and have similar goals and shared desires for enriching their communities. Some organizations focus on specific giving areas; others give in a broad variety of categories. Most share the following elements:
Members decide their own level of involvement
Pooled fund made up of members’ contributions collected annually
Voluntary governance and operating boards that minimize infrastructure expenses
Commitment to women’s leadership opportunities and expanded members’ knowledge of informed philanthropy
Formal grantmaking process led by members, including hands-on member training to ensure informed, strategic philanthropic giving
Democratic decision-making process that includes voting by the membership to select annual grant recipients
Commitment to support transformative grantmaking
Educational forums and /or training for members, as well as annual grant review committees that track grant effectiveness for those organizations awarded
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