Giving Compass' Take:

• At Forbes, Alyssa Wright depicts the growing opportunity for efficient, impactful philanthropy through giving circles during COVID-19.

• How do giving circles during COVID-19 promote collaboration, a key element in effectively responding to the pandemic? Are you prepared to invest your efforts in giving circles during COVID-19?

• Look for resources to make giving circles more effective during the coronavirus.

Over the past twenty years, giving circles have grown in popularity throughout the United States and more recently current events have propelled their popularity forward even more. Part of the collective giving movement, giving circles serve as a vehicle for donors to come together, pool funds, and support organizations, initiatives, and projects of similar interest.

As more and more research becomes available to help the philanthropic sector fully understand the long-term impact of giving circles, anecdotal data is being harvested in real time during the Covid-19 pandemic. As donors from different philanthropic communities move resources to support pandemic-related issues, many are beginning to cite that having been a part of giving circle prior to Covid-19 allowed them to make faster, better decisions when compelled to give.

This is especially true in the New England International Donor (NEID) community, a membership network of over 100 philanthropists and 40 philanthropic entities committed to supporting and sustaining causes around the world. In 2017, the organization introduced a giving circle offering , allowing members to come together around urgent international issues facing the security, safety, and well-being of all global citizens. Building off of the core values with which the organization was birthed, NEID’s giving circle practice was launched in an effort to enhance members’ experience of community as well as create a culture of listening, learning, and engaging with grassroots leaders.

As philanthropy embraces these more collaborative, democratic, and educational vehicles for giving, perhaps we will begin to see its influence on other sectors as well: driving us all forward towards societal well-being.

Read the full article about giving circles during COVID-19 by Alyssa Wright at Forbes.