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Giving Circles

Throughout history, passionate individuals have joined together to make life better in their communities. Today, thousands of donors pool their money, energy, and ideas to create giving circles.
 
Giving circles have emerged the last decade as a growing and significant philanthropic trend among donors of all wealth levels and backgrounds.  Past studies have shown that the number of giving circles has exploded across the country and that they are an established philanthropic force.  A new report finds that donors say they give more, give more strategically, and are more knowledgeable about nonprofit organizations and problems in their communities when they participate in giving circles.
 
For more information about Giving Circles, check out the resources below which include the Forum's own research into the Giving Circles trend and step-by-step guides on how to start your own Giving Circle. If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Moore.
Resource

Launchpad

Publication date: 
03/2021

A virtual, interactive leadership training program from Philanthropy Together to launch your giving circle.

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Resource type: 
Training
Topic(s): 
Giving Circles
Resource

The State of Giving Circles Today: Overview of New Research Findings from a Three-Part Study

Publication date: 
11/2017

Top 10 findings from a three-part study of giving circles, their impact and their relationship with their hosting organizations significantly updates our understanding of the current scope, scale and significance of giving circles and other models of collective giving in the U.S. Additionally, this study deepens our understanding of the impact of participation in giving circles on donors’ giving and civic engagement and offers actionable information related to the relationships between giving circles and their hosting organizations.

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Resource type: 
Research
Topic(s): 
Giving Circles
Resource

Celebrating Ten Years of Philanthropic Innovation: The New Ventures in Philanthropy Initiative

Publication date: 
02/2012

New Ventures in Philanthropy, an initiative of United Philanthropy Forum, was a bold and innovative experiment to grow new philanthropic giving across the United States and to capture for charitable purposes the enormous transfer of wealth that was predicted to occur over the subsequent decades.

Resource

Women’s Giving Circles: Reflections from the Founders

Publication date: 
08/2009

Women's Giving Circles: Reflections from the Founders adds the valuable perspective of personal narrative to understanding the growth of giving circles over the past ten years. Focused on the motivations, challenges, and opportunities of the 18 giving circle founders interviewed, the booklet is a testament to two factors that propelled this grassroots phenomenon – media interest and the powerful women’s social network.

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Resource type: 
Research
Topic(s): 
Giving Circles
Resource

The Impact of Giving Together: Giving Circles’ Influence on Members’ Philanthropic and Civic Behaviors, Knowledge, and Attitudes

Publication date: 
03/2009

Released by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, United Philanthropy Forum, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, “The Impact of Giving Together” specifically examines the impact of giving circles on members’ giving and civic engagement.

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Resource type: 
Forum PublicationResearch
Topic(s): 
Giving Circles

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