Set Up a Giving Circle

There are many options to choose from when creating a giving circle. You and your fellow giving circle founders can use your creativity to decide how your giving circle will look and operate.

This section provides a number of how-to documents and best practices to help you start a giving circle. As you create your giving circle, you will most likely create new solutions and strategies. Please let us know about them!

 

In This Area

  • Giving Circles: Mission and Goals
    Use these guiding questions and sample mission statements to determine the mission and goals of your circle.
  • Giving Circles: Size and Scope
    Resources to help you determine how much each giving circle member will contribute, how large you want your circle to be, and benefits and challenges of various options.
  • Giving Circles: Structure and Type
    Learn about the different types of giving circles, including formal, informal, and event-based, and the characterisitcs of each type to help you choose the best fit for you.
  • Giving Circles: Administration
    Learn about ways to operate your giving circle, including possible committee structure, procedure manual, and by-laws.
  • Giving Circles: Financial Decisions and Information
    Explore options for the amount and timing of giving circle members’ financial contributions, how to cover administrative costs associated with running the circle, where to keep the circle’s funds, and whether or not your circle needs a host organization.
  • Giving Circles: Grantmaking Philosophy
    Questions to consider when deciding what area(s) your circle will focus on when making grants.
 

Materials