Why a Giving Circle?  The simple reason is to pool donations with friends in an enjoyable social setting in order to engage in the decision-making about where your money goes and to have a greater impact in your community -- whether at the local, regional, national or international level. In this way, Giving Circles enable participants to make collective funding decisions and become more involved in the giving process than by simply writing a check to a favorite charity, all while having fun doing it.  By donating time and/or money through their Giving Circle of choice, participants find that they have a deeper and better giving experience and -- because they are involved in the decision-making -- feel that they achieve more meaningful giving. 

The Facts About Giving Circles:  Currently, there are an estimated 800 Giving Circles nationwide¹.  As of 2006, there were 400 catalogued Giving Circles in 44 states and the District of Columbia.  Approximately 40% (160) of them surveyed have alone raised $88 million since their inception (most since the year 2000) and granted almost $65 million to fund community needs.² Giving Circles are ethnically diverse, with a majority female (in members) but are increasingly co-ed or all male (47%)², and comprised of all formality levels and sizes, from a hand full of neighbors hosting "parties with a purpose" to some as large as 400 members -- supporting largely local U.S. communities but also increasingly international communities. With the fast growth of these local community groups and other like-minded individuals seeking to join or grow their own circle, there is understandably a growing need for information and networking. Further, there is a desire to leverage each other's capability and ultimately to enhance the impact on the causes they promote and better meet the needs of the individuals and organizations that they are serving. The Giving Circles Network seeks to meet the needs of the donor Giving Circles so that they in turn can ultimately have as meaningful of an impact as they and their recipient partners seek to achieve.

Types of Giving Circles – There are all types, shapes and sizes of Giving Circles located throughout the U.S., with:

• Formality Ranges:  There are varying levels of formality -- from very informal ones where members' paperwork is minimal and do not expect their donations to be tax deductible to highly formalized and established organizations which are either hosted or have achieved their own non-profit status (via application to the IRS to acquire this status) and utilizing traditional grant-making procedures and through their host or own IRS status enable donations to be tax deductible;

• Issue/Cause Diversity:  You will find the full range of causes of issues, ranging from social and health issues such as domestic violence and mental health to learning and expression in education and the arts.

• Geographic Diversity:  The focus can be locally, regionally, and sometimes even nationally and even internationally.

• Gender Diversity:  Membership is majority female; however, 47% of Giving Circles are now co-ed or all male.²

• Ethnic Diversity:  All ethnic and racial groups are represented in Giving Circles, and some Giving Circles have started on the basis of diversity, such as the Fondue Fund.

• Giving Levels:  There is a range of donor commitment levels (from $25 per event and typically give annually in the $300 - $1000 range);

• Grant Sizes:  Giving Circle issue grants of various financial levels (from payment of individual utility bills to $100,000 programs). 

• Contribute Money and/or Time:  Some are engaged only in giving and/or grant-making while others have an additional component whereby their members volunteer their time to Circle activities.

Please see our Giving Circles Advisory Panel for some exemplary Giving Circles that represent a cross-section of those in the U.S. today.