It has been a great news week for giving circles.  I’m particularly grateful for the Nonprofit Quarterly article, Asian Giving Circles Bring Heart, Focus & Community to Individual Philanthropy.  In it, Editor-in-Chief Ruth McCambridge writes:

Some observe that giving circles hold great promise for a more grounded form of community-based philanthropy. This report, entitled “The Value of Giving Circles in the Evolution of Community Philanthropy,” suggests that community foundations should make better use of them to attract new and emerging donors. The author, Akira Barclay, explores the relationship between Black giving circles and community foundations, suggesting that doing so might distinguish them further from their competitors among the big donor-advised funds based in money management firms.

She goes on to quote, from “The Value of Giving Circles in the Evolution of Community Philanthropy”:

“In the field of philanthropy when we discuss diversity, or lack of it we remark about how the work of foundations is sometimes not responsive or off the mark in meeting the true needs of a community. This happens too often because no members of the community being served were involved in the process. Building strategic partnerships with giving circles in communities of color is well within the reach of community foundations seeking to connect with the Black philanthropic community. In fact, bridging community foundations and the dynamic movement of Black giving circles presents a major opportunity to break out of isolated and siloed work to evolve and revolutionize the field of community philanthropy for the next century.”

THANK YOU Nonprofit Quarterly for keeping the conversation going about the power and potential of giving circles.