We have strength in numbers! The Philanos network now numbers more than 90 affiliated women’s giving circles. Collectively these circles have granted more than $232 Million for the benefit of their local communities! That is an Impact, we should all be proud of. Women absolutely make things happen!

The Philanos Board and Committees are off and running to create a year of content and resources for all Philanos Affiliates.

We listened and we learned! 2024 programming and events will be based on a foundation of what we heard from leaders at the sessions at our PowerUP! Baltimore conference in November. Learn more about expanding your personal philanthropic leadership at our Jan 9 webinar. February's webinar will feature ideas for recruiting AND retaining a diverse membership. Encourage others from your circle to register for these as well. (Details are below)

We thank you for sharing! During 2023, members of 66 Philanos Affiliates participate in at least on Affinity Group: Comms Club, Tech Talk and Membership Roundtable. The groups return for 2024 and with more frequency. These informal Zoom groups are a terrific opportunity to lean from each other. And be sure and watch for the intro of our newest group for grantmaking in February.  

We have strength in numbers! The Philanos Network now numbers more than 90 affiliated women's giving circles. Collectively these circles have granted more than $232 Million for the benefit of their local communities! That is an Impact, we should all be proud of. Women absolutely make things happen!

We welcome Board nominations! The Governance Committee is seeking a few good women. If you or someone you know is interested, please check out the article below or visit the Philanos website. Deadline for applications is February 3.

Most of all, we wish each of you success in 2024 - personally, professionally and philanthropically!

Read the full eNewsletter here

Welcome to our new Philanos Affiliates:

• Women's IMPACT Network of New Hanover County, NC
• Aspen Giving Network, CO
• Santa Fe Hestia Fund, NM
• Impact100 DC
• GivHer Circle, MS
• 100+ Women Who Care East County, MS
• 100 Women of Central Mississippi
• Women's Giving Circle at York County Community Foundation, PA
• Women Inspiring Philanthropy, TX

Philanos is the leading national women's giving circle network, with more than 90 affiliates in 29 states, District of Columbia, England and Australia. Philanos affiliates vary by membership and governing models; however they all share one guiding mission: to become informed donors, to practice intentional grantmaking, and to make a lasting impact in their local communities.

By Maggie Glasgow, Philanos Co-Chair

I recently had the distinct privilege of attending the Community Investment Network (CIN) Leadership Summit in New Orleans.  CIN’s Leadership Summit is an annual leadership development experience for community philanthropists that lead CIN-member giving circles.  The group that CIN assembled and hosted included BIPOC leaders from CIN, along with Latina and Latino circle leaders, the Asian Women Giving Circle, DMV Collective Giving Network, Philanos and Philanthropy Together. 

The weekend meeting included best practices workshops, leadership training, peer-to-peer networking and personal development exercises. There was also a session led by Tony Bowen, Executive Director, Fidelity Charitable Trustees Philanthropy Fund, on inspiring donors through investments by putting DAF holders more proximate to the nonprofits in their communities. This is an important piece of the collaborative grant recently made by Fidelity Charitable to Philanos and our Network Partners: CIN, Philanthropy Together and Grapevine. The main meeting was held in the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans’ historic 9th Ward–a beautiful venue inspired by the power of black philanthropy.  

For further inspiration, the Leadership Summit attendees were invited to the Soul of Philanthropy Gala hosted by the ACLU of Louisiana on Saturday evening at the Tate Etienne and Prevost Interpretive Center, also in the 9th Ward.  We were able to preview, in the gallery space, an brand new exhibit entitled “Parading Toward Freedom:  A Movement of Black Philanthropy” & “Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited.”  The evening dinner program celebrated civil rights leaders and black philanthropy in Louisiana, and wrapped with music and dancing, New Orleans style.

We are looking ahead to 2024! And it could not be more exciting for Philanos.

PowerUP! Baltimore 2023 brought 325 of us together in a spirit of collaboration that has us all on a high. We look forward to sharing our plans to build on that momentum and further engage each of our affiliates.

This past weekend, Maggie had the privilege to attend the Community Investment Network (CIN) Leadership Summit in New Orleans joining community philanthropists who lead CIN-member giving circles and leadership from our Philanos Network Partners.

With our recent funding from Fidelity Charitable, we will be partnering with other giving circle networks and organizations to expand the Philanos Network presence and impact further into the Mid and Central South and the Mountain West.

We are in the process of building a new strategic plan thanks to the professional experience and women power of our recently expanded board. And nominations are now open for our 2024-2025 board. Please consider someone in your circle or yourself to nominate!

It is an exciting time to be a member of a women’s giving circle and a Philanos Affiliate.

With gratitude, Philanos Co-Chairs
Maggie Glasgow, mglasgow@philanos.org 
Sandy Cook, scook@philanos.org

Read the full eNewsletter here

Our national Philanos conference - PowerUP! Baltimore 2023 is now a wrap. 

• We reach out with tremendous gratitude for the work of our Philanos Affiliates! 

• The more than 300 women attending, represented circles throughout the country - sharing best practices for advocacy, sponsorships, membership recruitment, member engagement, grant making and so much more. Such a powerful collaboration by so many from our Philanos Board, Co-Hosts, Sponsors, Speakers and Volunteers!

Our award announcements are always highlights! 

• With our announcement of our 2023 Spotlight Awards, we were all inspired by the impact that our Philanos Affiliates are having in their local communities. A special congratulations to Many Hands (DC), The Melbourne Women's Foundation and Impact100 Garden State on this recognition.

• Our 2023 Willoughby Award was announced, recognizing Malynda Hawes Madzel of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, MD. This award recognizes a changemaker who has used their collective giving experience to make an impact outside of her circle, addressing needs that may not have otherwise been addressed through philanthropic collaboration in her community.

What's ahead? 

• We are so pleased to announce that we are a Fidelity Charitable Trustees Initiative recipient for a multi-year grant. As the leading women's giving circle network, this phenomenal grant allows us to strengthen and enable Philanos to expand ongoing work in women's collective giving to advance diversity, equity and inclusion among our organizations, build young philanthropist programs, and engage more BIPOC women in our communities.

• An important initiative of this grant will be to bring more philanthropic donors and dollars into regions that have historically been underserved and underfunded, the Mountain West and the Mid-South. These areas receive only 1/3rd of the philanthropic dollars per capita compared to those in the Northeast or West Coast. We are honored to partner with Fidelity Charitable to address this inequity by expanding collective giving through our Philanos Affiliate Network in those regions.

• We are honored to be joining a group of incredible organizations including our collective philanthropy partners at Community Investment Network, Grapevine and Philanthropy Together.

• A very special thank you to Tony Bowen, Executive Director of the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund at Fidelity Charitable, and Fidelity Charitable for investing in Philanos, collective giving and the giving circle impact to local communities.

With gratitude,
Philanos Co-Chairs
Maggie Glasgow, mglasgow@philanos.org 
Sandy Cook, scook@philanos.org

Read the full eNewsletter here

We reach out with tremendous gratitude for the work of our Philanos Affiliates! Our national Philanos conference - PowerUP! Baltimore 2023 is now a wrap. The more than 300 women attending, represented circles throughout the country - sharing best practices for advocacy, sponsorships, membership recruitment, member engagement, grant making and so much more.

Such a powerful collaboration by so many from our Philanos Board, Co-Hosts, Sponsors, Speakers and Volunteers!

Our award announcements are always highlights! With our announcement of our 2023 Spotlight Awards, we were all inspired by the impact that our Philanos Affiliates are having in their local communities. A special congratulations to Many Hands (DC), The Melbourne Women's Foundation and Impact100 Garden State on this recognition.

Our 2023 Willoughby Award was announced, recognizing Malynda Hawes Madzel of the  Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, MD. This award recognizes a changemaker who has used their collective giving experience to make an impact outside of her circle, addressing needs that may not have otherwise been addressed through philanthropic collaboration in her community.

What is ahead?

We are so pleased to announce that we are a Fidelity Charitable Trustees Initiative recipient for a multi-year grant. As the leading women's giving circle network, this phenomenal grant allows us to strengthen and enable Philanos to expand ongoing work in women's collective giving to advance diversity, equity and inclusion among our organizations, build young philanthropist programs, and engage more BIPOC women in our communities.

An important initiative of this grant will be to bring more philanthropic donors and dollars into regions that have historically been underserved and underfunded, the Mountain West and the Mid-South. These areas receive only 1/3rd of the philanthropic dollars per capita compared to those in the Northeast or West Coast. We are honored to partner with Fidelity Charitable to address this inequity by expanding collective giving through our Philanos Affiliate Network in those regions.

We are honored to be joining a group of incredible organizations including our collective philanthropy partners at Community Investment Network, Grapevine and Philanthropy Together.

A very special thank you to Tony Bowen, Executive Director of the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund at Fidelity Charitable, and Fidelity Charitable for investing in Philanos, collective giving and the giving circle impact to local communities.

Philanos Co-Chairs
Maggie Glasgow, mglasgow@philanos.org 
Sandy Cook, scook@philanos.org

New! 5 Ways to Register for PowerUP! Baltimore

Great News! We have now opened up 5 different registration options for you to attend PowerUP! Baltimore, Philanos' 3-day National Conference for visionary leaders who believe in the power of women's collective giving to create impact in local communities. We hope you will join us for learning, sharing, networking, and connecting with hundreds of women leaders from around the country. There's a little something for everyone!

Register Here

Bonus - Everyone who is registered by October 15, will be entered in a drawing for a $250 cash gift card. Register today!

Thank you to our PowerUP! Baltimore 2023 Sponsors!

Philanos is pleased to announce the 13, 2023 Philanos PowerUP! Baltimore DEI Advocate Awardees. The program aims to broaden and diversify the group of women who will participate in philanthropy at the national level. Awardees were selected based on their passion for collective giving and commitment to expanding opportunities for all. The program was designed by a diverse team of Philanos Board members and is supported by a grant from the Chang Family.

“Philanthropy is evolving, and there is a growing need for collaboration and shared decision-making with the communities that we serve” said Clare O'Brien, a member of both the Philanos Board and Chang Family. "The DEI Advocate Awardees bring the knowledge, lived experiences, and perspectives of groups traditionally underrepresented in philanthropy and we are thrilled to have them enrich our conference, develop new relationships, and share their knowledge with others."