Giving Circle!
Giving Circles are a simple and powerful way for normal folks to make a difference.
A literal Army of Normal Folks make donations of all sizes (starting at $10/month and up to $25k), pool those funds, vote on how to grant it out (everyone gets one vote no matter their gift size), and together we make larger transformational gifts than we could on their own!
Imagine pooling our funds to pay for a $500 bed that prevents a child from entering the foster care system?
Or making $100,000 gift that brings something new and meaningful to our community?
Almost none of us could do that on our own. But together we can!
And… the philanthropic community Stand Together is providing some pretty sweet challenge grants to help us get going:
- $3,000 if our giving circle reaches 25 members ($10/mo+) - We've already unlocked this one!
- $12,000 if our giving circle reaches 100 members
- $25,000 if we are the first giving circle to reach 200 members
Your gift of $10 per month (or more) could literally help unlock an additional $22,000 for our community!
So, what are you waiting for?! Hit that donate button right now.
But actually first… keep in mind that our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is to get to a $300k giving circle, which we could achieve with something like this:
- 4 give $25,000
- 10 give $10,000
- 50 give $1,000
- 500 give $10/month
Would you be open to joining at one of these levels or another amount?
Now hit the donate button with whatchya can do and together we can do a lot!
How Funds Flow
- 100% of the pool goes to quarterly gifts until the giving circle is trending toward $20k+ per year.
- Once we hit that level, the pool splits:
- 50% goes toward one larger annual gift, and
- 50% continues funding smaller monthly gifts.
Gifts can support nonprofits (a preference for projects, new programs, or program growth vs. general support which we still can do) or individual-level needs (needs to be processed through a nonprofit like CarePortal).
Voting
Come to our monthly club meetings, because that’s where this magic happens:
- Nonprofit finalists can present (optional) for up to 5 minutes.
- Presenters leave the room afterward so members can deliberate freely.
- Voting happens on GivePulse
Submitting Applications
- Nonprofits applying for funding must speak directly to how their proposal advances ANF’s Guiding Light (application template here, submit to Giving Circle Chair or club President)
- Giving circle members can also submit applications for individual-level needs surfaced through 501(c)(3) partners (CarePortal or similar) 7-days prior to each meeting to allow time for vetting.
- Club leaders may submit nonprofits they’re formally involved with (board, staff, etc.), but they must disclose their involvement, step out during deliberation, and abstain from voting.
The Benefits of Giving Circles
Traditional giving can often feel disconnected. You write a check, hope it helps, and rarely see the story on the other side. Your gift may support general operations, but it’s hard to feel the impact or the joy.
Giving circles flip that experience on its head. Together, we can:
- Make larger, transformational gifts none of us could do alone.
- Fund specific, tangible projects proposed directly to us.
- Surface innovative ideas from nonprofits we might never otherwise meet.
- Learn more about our community including its challenges, its champions, and the neighbors doing the work.
- Rely on a vetting committee that helps ensure proposals are sound and mission-aligned.
- Inspire more people to give (and give more boldly) because the impact is easy to see and easy to feel.
In short: Giving circles let everyday neighbors feel like philanthropists without needing a $100k checkbook. Just normal folks doing extraordinary things, together.