By Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru
I've been hearing about giving circles for a few years now without really understanding how they work. A recent article in Advancing Philanthropy: Ideas & Strategies from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (July/August 2009) caught my eye.
The article summarized some of the research findings from "Giving Circles and Their Impact on Members" by Angela M. Eikenberry (University of Nebraska Omaha) and Jessica Bearman (Bearman Consulting of Spokane, Washington). This research was supported by the Aspen Institute, Center on Philanthropy, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, and the University of Nebraska Omaha. The full 66-page report can be found in PDF format at Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers website.
In addition all types of information about giving circles including a national directory is at this website. It's just amazing to see how many giving circles there are in California.
Here are some report highlights from the survey work the research team did with 587 current and past giving circle members.
- Giving circle members report more giving to more organizations in a more strategic way
- They have increased knowledge about philanthropy, nonprofits, and community needs
- The more members are engaged in their circles the more they have increased their volunteer services
- "Giving circles may be particularly relevant in these tough economic times because donors can leverage their donations with others to have a greater impact on causes they care about" according to study co-investigator Jessica Bearman.
Permanent Link: Giving Circles and Major Gift Fundraising
http://majorgiftsguru.com/2009/08/giving-circles-and-major-gift.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment