From Eight Giving Circles to a National Network

Philanos began with a simple idea: women's giving circles could become stronger by learning from and connecting with one another.

The idea for a national network took shape in 2008, when leaders from eight giving circles gathered at a celebration hosted by the Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation. They recognized that regular communication, shared learning, and the exchange of experiences and best practices could strengthen individual giving circles and help advance the growing women's collective giving movement.

Building the Network

• In 2009, Colleen Willoughby, founder of Washington Women's Foundation and widely recognized as a founder of the modern collective giving movement, convened giving circle leaders from across the country to turn that idea into action.
• The Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network (WCGN) was created as a volunteer-led national organization open to giving circles and collective giving organizations. From the beginning, the network focused on many of the same things that remain central to Philanos today: learning from one another, building relationships, sharing knowledge and resources, and strengthening collective giving.
• WCGN began offering regular educational programs in 2009 and convening national conferences that brought collective giving leaders together in person. By 2011, more than 20 giving circles were part of the growing network.

Becoming a National Organization

• In 2013, WCGN became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 35 Affiliate giving circles and an elected national Board of Directors.
• The founding leaders who helped build the network represented giving circles from communities across the country, including Washington Women's Foundation, Giving WoMN, Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation, San Diego Women's Foundation, Women's Fund El Dorado, Impact Austin, Spirit of St. Louis Women's Fund, and Impact Giving.
• Their vision established a national model for collaboration among women's giving circles and created a foundation for continued growth.

From WCGN to Philanos

• In 2020, the Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network became Philanos, reflecting the organization's evolution and its growing role in advancing women's collective giving nationally.
• Since then, Philanos has continued to expand its network, learning opportunities, peer connections, national conferences, resources, sector partnerships, and leadership within the broader philanthropy community.

Philanos Today

• Today, Philanos is the leading national women's giving circle network, bringing together more than 110 Affiliates and 22,000 women philanthropists across the U.S. and Australia. Together, Philanos Affiliates have collectively granted more than $271 million in the communities where they live and give.
• Philanos is also a national philanthropy infrastructure organization, connecting and collaborating with organizations across the broader field to strengthen collective giving and philanthropy.
• What began as a conversation among a small group of giving circle leaders has grown into a national network built around the same fundamental idea:

We are stronger when we learn, connect, and give together.

"What is the cathedral you are building today?"

 Colleen Willoughby
Founder,  Philanos
Founder, Washington Women's Foundation, Seattle, WA