Giving Compass' Take:

• Creative Partnerships Australia shares the steps for starting a donor circle to begin engaging in collective impact. 

• Is a donor circle the right vehicle for your giving? Are you ready to lead a donor circle? 

• Learn about the benefits of hosting a donor circle. 

There’s is a clear distinction between a donor circle and giving circle. A donor circle describes a group of donors brought together by a charitable organization to have a shared impact or goal. By comparison, a giving circle is a group of donors that come together, pool their donations and decided together what they will support. These groups are initiated by donors.

Setting up a donor circle is easy if you follow these steps:

  1. Identify a few specific fundraising causes and put a value to each. Whatever the area of arts you work, think of a few exciting, achievable goals and have an accurate cost to achieve it.
  2. Identify one or two donor circle leaders. These people should have a close link to the company.
  3. Launch. Be clear about the specific purpose of the group and commit to reporting back exactly what outcome the donor group has collectively achieved.
  4. Catch up year-round. Be sure to bring the group together, as this will create some enjoyable group dynamics that will help hold the group together for years to come.
  5. Say thank you. Make sure you thank and acknowledge donors appropriately. Research suggests more than 80% of donors will give again if they are thanked in a timely way.

Read the full article about establishing donor circles by Creative Partnerships Australia at Medium.