Women in Philanthropy: Building on 20 years of giving

By Scott Wierman CONTRIBUTOR

Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s greatest strength is building relationships with those making a positive difference in the region – nonprofits, community organizations, donors and giving circles.

A giving circle is defined as “a form of participatory philanthropy by a group of individuals who form a voluntary association to donate their money or time. The group then decides how to allocate these resources to charitable organizations or community projects.”

In 2003, Community Foundation of the Lowcountry created a giving circle known as Women in Philanthropy (WIP). At that time, women’s giving circles were fairly new. The Community Foundation’s goal was to create a women-only group that would exercise the power of collective giving and be the decision makers for the grants awarded. The seven original WIP members were selected as advisory board members and set the group on a course of making a difference in the Lowcountry. The first grants awarded by WIP took place in 2006, with a total of $6,000 awarded to two nonprofits.

Twenty years after its inception, Women in Philanthropy is thriving. In April, WIP held a festive, well-attended 20th Anniversary Celebration at Coastal Discovery Museum. At its 2023 Spring Luncheon in May, WIP awarded an all-time high of $124,375 to six grant recipients: Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA); Beaufort County School District; Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation; Bluffton/Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM); Lowcountry Autism Foundation; and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Lowcountry. The theme for this year’s grants was “Strengthening Mental Health Services for Children and