Giving Circles, according to Wikipedia, are a “form of philanthropy consisting of groups of individuals who pool their funds and other resources to donate to their communities.” The benefit? This form of giving allows the individual funders to have a say in what is done with their donations – and as readers of The ETOlutionist well know, we are always a fan of people taking an avid interest in making sure their money is used for causes whose efforts can be tied to measurable outcomes. But we digress. So it seems one of these so called “Giving Circles” is making some hay up in Connecticut. The Women's Initiative Fund, a small sub-set of the Connecticut Community Foundation, boasts a list of over 200 women who have successfully raised nearly $350,000 in support of the fund, which donates money toward other nonprofit programs that improve the lives of local women and their families. That’s some circle! You can read more about the Women's Initiative Fund in this article from the Republican American, which also includes some astonishing statistics about female donors. (A Sneak Peek: single women are 9 to 10 percent more likely to be donors than single men!)

Tags: Giving Circles, Philanthropy, Women's Initiative Fund, Connecticut Community Foundation, Foundations