CIRCLES, CONTINUED
Giving circles provide individuals of all means with
Sondra Shaw-Hardy notes in her book, Creating
the opportunity to engage in impactful philanthropy.
A Women’s Giving Circle: The Original Handbook
A $100 gift to charity can quickly turn into $1,000
(Mission Point Press, 2021), that women’s increasing
or more when pooled with others’ gifts. The addition
control of their own finances contributes to the
of zeros or donors to this example shows the
growth of giving circles.
exponential and significant nature of circle giving. Researchers estimate that known U.S. circles have contributed more than $1.29 billion to charity over the past 40 years. They also tell us that those who participate in giving circles are likely to give more in
• What is the right size? • Who will be involved? • What are the group’s key values and interest areas? • Is there a required minimum gift for participation? • How often will you meet?
money and time overall than those who do not; to give proactively more often than reactively; and to be more engaged in civic and political activities than those who are not part of a circle.
The
Ella Nash Society
Joining or creating a women’s giving circle may be one of the most pleasant and meaningful ways to engage in philanthropy. To start one, all that is needed is a group of like-minded people, common
• How will the group identify needs and giving options? • Who will make giving decisions? • How will gifts be conveyed to charity? • Are there existing organizations with which to partner?
interests, and a forum for discussing what the group would like to accomplish and where that might be done. Philanthropy Together (https://philanthropytogether.org) is an excellent resource for further information.
The sense of community that circles foster is one of their most appealing features for many women. A recent survey of active circles found that 70%
To learn how your circle might support
of respondents said that more than half of their
Allegheny students and faculty, contact
membership was female. Further, nearly half of
Melissa Mencotti at giftplan@allegheny.edu
those that reported serving a specific identity were
or by calling (814) 332-5912.
organized by women to support women’s concerns.
Ms. Melissa Mencotti Director of Gift Planning Allegheny College 520 N. Main Street Meadville, PA 16335
Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Permit No 4123 Pittsburgh PA
Inspiring Women, Informing Philanthropy
This semiannual newsletter, named for M. Ella Nash, Class of 1873, the College’s first female graduate, celebrates women’s philanthropy.
Summer 2021
The Power of Collective Giving
PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION
Girl Power!
sought “to show what a strong and
When Elaine Herrmann Blais and
united behind a common cause,”
Heather Miller joined the Allegheny
said Elaine. They contributed
Class of 1991’s 30th reunion committee
$12,250 for the 2020/21 Annual
last year, they invited close friends
close circle of women can do when
Fund, which touches every aspect
Many hands make light work, goes the saying, and
and educational activities. There are 2,000 known
when collectively reaching for the checkbook as part
circles in the U.S. and countless numbers of informal,
of a giving circle, they also make a big impact on the
unregistered groups.
nonprofit sector.
Informal circles such as Girl Power (see Page 6) grow
Giving circles consist of friends, associates, or others
organically and lack organizational charters, specific
with mutual interests who pool their charitable
giving expectations, and meeting requirements.
dollars and make shared decisions about how
They are small enough that members make funding
their gifts are allocated to charity. Circles are as
decisions as a group. The most formal circles are
unique as the donors who comprise them, varying
large, hierarchical organizations with prominent
in size, members’ giving expectations, formality of
board members, detailed committee structures,
governance, and philanthropic goals. They may be
minimum gift amounts, and representative voting
local, national, or international in scope and mission
on charitable activities. Increasingly, networks of
Dawnmarie Eckenrode Black, Cynthia Chappell
of the College. Elaine said that the women give
Deal, Joanna Gillespie, Deirdre Kosky-Kaupelis,
charitably when inspired and “the friendships we
Laurie Katshir McKiernan, Kelly Lengauer
made at Allegheny, and all that those friendships
Musmanno, Karen Brown Roux, Maura Keogh
have given us … provided that inspiration.” She
Shafer, Jackie Rudolph Smathers and Lauren
added that through a giving circle, “our gift … has
Flannery Thiele to join them in a giving circle —
more impact together than any of us do alone.”
with divergent (if any) degrees of staffing and
giving circles such as the Community Investment
Pictured left to right: Heather Miller ’91, Elaine
infrastructure. Circles may center around specific
Network, Impact 100, and Women’s Giving Circle
interpersonal and/or geographic communities, and
International are organizing for even greater
they almost always include some form of social
philanthropic leverage.
affectionately dubbed “Girl Power” — to make a special gift to the College. Girl Power inspired them to make larger individual gifts than usual as they
Herrmann Blais ’91, and Joanna Gillespie ’91
continued on inside flap
