​May 28, 2024

By Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz and Ann Marie McGee, Philanos Communications Committee Co-Chairs

We had a terrific Philanos Comms Club Affinity Group meeting today, where we discussed fun and meaningful opportunities to engage circle members throughout the summer.

Participants connected, learned, and shared ideas and efforts today, and together, we were able to identify 25 Summer Member Engagement Ideas.

Take a look - what are YOU hoping to do this summer to engage members? Let us know and we'll compile and share the enhanced list!

25 Summer Member Engagement Ideas

1. Summer Reading List Question - "What is Your Philanthropic Beach Read This Summer?"
2. Summer Book Club - Ongoing List of “Must Reads" Based on Answers
3. Summer Social Events - Non-Business Meet Up at Local Concerts, Museums, Restaurants
4. Summer Athletic Activities - Group Hike, Pickleball Team, Walk
5. Summer Group Volunteer Activity - General in the Community with Members
6. Summer Group Project - Group Project for a Grantee Partner
7. Summer Tours - Ongoing Tours to Grantee Partners 
8. Summer Family Project - Effort Geared for Families to Engage Children
9. Summer Wish List Project - Highlight and Fulfill Grantee Partner Wish Lists
10. Summer Coffees - Hosted by Circle Leadership to Engage/Educate Current Members
11. Summer Happy Hours - Hosted by Circle Leadership to Engage/Educate Current and New Members
12. Summer Group Fundraisers - Group Fundraiser for a Specific Circle Project
13. Summer Product Drive - Circle Effort to Collect Can Goods, Books, Feminine Hygiene Products
14. Summer Individual Fundraisers - Individual Facebook Fundraiser on Behalf of Birthday, Special Milestone, etc. 
15. Summer History Series - "Did You Know" Series of Posts/Weekly Social Graphic to Provide Circle History and Stats
16. Summer Grantee Partner Series - Weekly Social Graphic Update on Latest Grantee Partners
17. Summer Education Series - Virtual or In-Person Speakers on Issues the Circle is Funding
18. Summer Leadership Series - Weekly Social Graphic/Video Clip Highlighting Circle Leaders
19. Summer Calendar Series - Ongoing Calendar Updates for Summer and Fall Events
20. Summer Film Series - Regular Postings of the Past Year's Webinars/Virtual Events
21. Summer Guest Blogs - Series of Guest Blog Posts by Circle Members
22. Summer New Member Spotlight - Weekly Circle Member Spotlight
23. Summer End of Year Round Up - Publish End of Year Summary and Highlight Sections Weekly on Social Media
24. Summer Raffle - eNewsletter Sign Up to Win Raffle Item
25. Summer Photo Contest - Summer Trip Photo w/Circle Shirt, Logo, etc.

Everyone noted that all member engagement ideas have a communications component and opportunity, and that many of the ideas below aren't just for Summer! We also discussed using the downtime this summer to better organize social media pages, community outreach marketing items, and experiment with posting and other forms of communication.

Enjoy your summer and your fun and meaningful communication and engagement efforts to your members - we'll look forward to hearing how your efforts are doing. 

The next Philanos Comms Club will meet on July 23, 2024 at 12 pm ET - see you then!

Many Hands was thrilled to celebrate their 20th anniversary on April 12, 2024 at Hogan Lovells with members, friends, and grantees. In this short video, released at the event, founding board members share what they set out to achieve and grantees talk about the difference Many Hands has made for their work.

View the video here

We are pleased to announce the 10^th year anniversary of Philanos Affiliate Allinbklyn.org, a women’s philanthropic initiative supporting nonprofits in Brooklyn. 

New National Research Report from the Johnson Center, Colmena-Consulting, and Philanthropy Together

In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S. explores the transformative impact of collective giving on philanthropy. Practiced in cultures all around the world, collective giving brings people together to pool their resources, including time, talent, treasure, testimony, and ties — often referred to as the 5Ts. Groups like giving circles, SVP chapters, giving projects, and nonprofit-led circles have long served as democratic and philanthropic learning hubs — bringing historically marginalized voices into philanthropic decision-making spaces, challenging preconceived notions of who is considered a philanthropist, and elevating members as integral actors in our sector’s efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in giving.

A partnership between the Johnson Center, Colmena-Consulting, and Philanthropy Together, this report underscores collective giving groups’ role in reshaping philanthropic practices, fostering social connections, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.

Read the report

Last week, Philanos leadership attended CircleUp Denver, where we joined philanthropists living in or around the Denver area who engaged in rich discussions around collective giving and how groups in Denver are supporting local, community-based organizations.

Many thanks to American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming for hosting us, and to The Community Chest, Denver Women in Business for Good, Impact100 Metro Denver , LatinasGive!, SpinDenver , and Social Venture Partners Denver for leading the conversation. And, a special shoutout to The Women's Foundation of Colorado for helping make this event happen!

CircleUp Denver is the first of many events held in partnership with Philanthropy Together, The Community Investment Network, and Grapevine, and thanks to support from Fidelity Charitable® Catalyst Fund! Follow each of us for updates on upcoming CircleUps held in the Mountain West and Central South regions. We're proud to work alongside these groups to elevate awareness on collective giving and move more dollars to community-based organizations across the U.S. 

Philanos is proud to announce the following 2024-2025 Board of Directors and Governance Committee, composed of women who are members of Philanos Affiliate organizations.

Our Board and Governance members represent 22 Affiliates.

Philanos 2024-2025 Board of Directors: 

View bios here

• Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, MD
• Susan Benford, The Philanthropy Connection, MA
• Demetria George Caston, former ED Impact Austin, TX
• Nina Cohen, Impact100 South Jersey, NJ
• Amy Conard, Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, MO
• Sandy Cook, Impact100 Metro Denver, CO & Women’s Giving Alliance of Northeast Florida
• Stephanie Cook, San Diego Women’s Foundation, CA
• Alisa Evans Debnam, Women’s Giving Circle of Cumberland County, NC
• Maggie Glasgow, Greenville Women Giving, SC
• Renee Gordon, Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle, MD
• Michelle Hynes, ninety-nine girlfriends, OR
• Heather Jauregui, Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation, ID
• Mary Kwak, Many Hands, DC
• Ann Marie McGee, Impact 100 Redwood Circle, CA
• Clare O’Brien, Impact 100 Cincinnati, OH
• Maureen Romito, Impact Las Vegas, NV
• Renuka Sastri, 100 Women Strong at Central Florida Foundation, FL
• Kirsten Stanley, Impact 100 Palm Beach County, FL
• Barb Van Winkle, Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, MD
• Tyeshia “Ty” Wilson, HERitage Giving Fund, TX
• Sarah F Wimberley, Impact100 Philadelphia, PA

Philanos Executive Committee:

• Sandy Cook, Co-Chair, Impact100 Metro Denver, CO & Women’s Giving Alliance of Northeast Florida
• Ann Marie McGee, Co-Chair, Impact 100 Redwood Circle, CA
• Clare O'Brien, Co-Chair, Impact 100 Cincinnati, OH
• Barb Van Winkle, Treasurer, Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, MD
• Renee Gordon, Secretary, Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle, MD
• Maggie Glasgow, Immediate Past Chair, Greenville Women Giving, SC

Philanos Governance Committee:

• Maureen Romito – Impact Las Vegas, NV
• Renuka Sastri – 100 Women Strong at Central Florida Foundation, FL
• Nina Cohen – Impact100 South Jersey, NJ
• Celeste Campos – Impact 100 Garden State, NJ
• Margo Greenfield – Impact 100 Essex, NJ
• Kimberly Kirn – Impact100 Philadelphia, PA

Happy Spring!

And with Spring comes so many new and innovative ideas and resources from Philanos.

Read the full eNewsletter here

For our April 9 Webinar, in honor of April being Earth Month, we are so pleased to feature Shreya Durvasula from Rachel’s Network presenting: How Women’s Leadership is Saving the Planet. We hope you will join and learn more about ways your own circle can make an impact.

Tuesday’s presentation of In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the United States by Philanthropy Together was more evidence of the impact each Philanos Affiliate is making. We have strength in numbers! We are grateful for the participation of so many of our circles. Our May 14 webinar will include a presentation specifically tailored to Philanos Affiliates.

Our May webinar will also feature our new board and leaders for 2024-2025 and some important growth Philanos is working on in the South Central and Mountain West regions of the United States. Be sure and register using the link below.

All Philanos affiliates are encouraged to invite your full memberships to join us at our upcoming webinars and affinity group meetings - every giving circle member is able to join in the learning, sharing, and connecting that Philanos offers.

And, Philanos is about to begin building a new strategic plan, reflecting the diversity and needs of our circles and the future of collective giving. We cannot wait to share it with you in a few months.

We are Stronger and Bolder Together!

Maggie Glasgow, mglasgow@philanos.org

Sandy Cook, scook@philanos.org

Philanos Co-Chairs

By Heather Juaregui, Past President

Our Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation delegation made the most of three days of networking, learning, and best practice sharing at the Philanos PowerUP! Conference the first weekend of November in Baltimore. Nicole Patterson, Susan Smith, Suzanne Groff Lierz, and Heather Jauregui were among the 325 conference participants from 60 giving circles and networks, including several of our friends from the Wood River Women’s Foundation. Four tracks offered 20 breakout sessions focused on Collective Power + Leadership; Communications + Technology; Governance + Finance; and Membership + Grantmaking. Sessions were presented by members of women’s giving circles and philanthropic leaders from across the country.  Peer-to-peer discussions illuminated IWCF as a mature giving circle on solid footing, and we’re addressing common challenges, such as supporting a large vibrant membership, enhancing relationships with our grant partners, and adopting trust-based philanthropy principles. Checkout the PowerUp! Conference Wrap. 

Every IWCF member is a member of Philanos–just use the same email account associated with your IWCF membership to access all the benefits for Philanos membership. You have access to the discussion groups, webinars, and resources Philanos offers to support women’s giving circles and their individual members to become educated philanthropists and thoughtful grantmakers in their communities.  Make the most of your IWCF membership by participating in one of the free Philanos webinars this year and meet other women as excited about collective giving as you are!

2023 Landscape of Collective Giving Research

Philanos was proud to partner with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Colmena-Consulting, and Philanthropy Together to encourage participation in this research study. Using surveys, focus groups, and interviews, the new report, 'In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.' will reveal the growth, diversity, and impact of collective giving in the United States since 2016.

Be among the first to get a look at the research findings by registering for the official report release webinar on Tuesday, April 2 at Noon ET / 9AM PT. 

REGISTER HERE

Registration for We Give Summit is now live! Mark your calendar for the 4th Annual event by our amazing #Philanos Partner Philanthropy Together! From May 7-9, 2024 join in and explore ways to give with meaning and intentionality. This year’s theme Activate Together will challenge us to consider ways we can ignite change using our time, talent, treasure, testimony, and ties (also known as the 5T’s of Philanthropy.

Register today at WeGiveSummit.org Interested in learning a little more?

Check out session recordings from previous year’s events. #wegivesummit #philanthropytogether #5Tsofphilanthropy