Women in Philanthropy: The Giving Circle

The Giving Circle

A women’s giving circle is simply a group of like-minded women who join together to pool their time, talent and money in order to effect social change. Typically, each woman in a circle contributes the same amount of money, and the circle, as a group, determines where it will designate its contributions. In short, a women’s “team” is established with the whole being larger than the individual parts.

The first Women in Philanthropy giving circle, The Founders’ Circle, is now complete and is comprised of 22 women. This circle supported the Division of Student Affairs through the Center for Community Service Endowment Fund. This $50,000 endowment supports the Student Community Outreach Resource Endowment (SCORE) grant making program. Women in Philanthropy members are working with the Community Service Leadership Council, which includes leaders of various student service organizations, to help them with the grant making process to fund various events and projects. This helps to train the next generation of students in philanthropic issues.

Giving Opportunities

The Leveraging Leadership Circle supports the Division of Student Affairs. Women in Philanthropy has made it a goal to raise $200,000 by building the following endowment funds:

The Baker University Center Programming Endowment Fund: which supports activities, programs and events in the Center
The Amanda J. Cunningham Leadership Center Endowment Fund: which supports materials, equipment, programming and activities related to leadership development
The Leona Hughes LeaderShape Endowment Fund: which supports students attending the national LeaderShape program

We hope you will consider joining the Leveraging Leadership Circle.

The Women in Philanthropy Jody Galbreath Phillips Giving Circle to Support Women’s Athletics will provide resources to build and maintain a complete academic and athletic program of excellence.

WIP Founder’s Giving Circle Member, Stacia Taylor (BSC '82), is spearheading this Giving Circle. She is recruiting 10 Women Leaders to donate $5,000 each to build a $50,000 endowment.

Many donations to this Giving Circle have already been received in honor of Jody Galbreath Phillips. Any amount given to this new Giving Circle to further Women’s Athletics is appreciated.

Click here to make a gift or pledge your support!

Student Philanthropy Initiative

For our initial project, we are funding a student project that speaks directly to our goal of teaching students to be givers: the Student Philanthropy Initiative. Sponsored by the University’s Center for Community Service, this group of student leaders will solicit proposals from community and campus service organizations. The group will then analyze the proposals and decide which ones to fund.

Through their efforts, the students will learn what makes for a successful community service project and learn how they can effect change. They will also learn how to give money away effectively, how to monitor its impact, and how to decide which of the many different needs in our society they can help address. The students will be required to make presentations to us as donors and to keep us apprised of their progress.

We plan to work with the students and mentor them as they seek proposals and make funding decisions. Our hope is that, by providing seed money for the Student Philanthropy Initiative, we will teach these students how to be wise philanthropists through both our example and their experience.

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