Giving Compass' Take:

• The Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta (JWFA) hosted a successful pop-up giving circle that helped make decisions through a collective grantmaking process. 

• How can other funds replicate this pop-up giving circle? Are there opportunities for you to start a giving circle in your community?

• Learn about the opportunities and the benefits of a giving circle, here. 

History was made November 11th in Atlanta, as a room full of Jewish women and teenage daughters joined together to participate in the first (and hopefully annual) Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta Power of Women Pop-Up Giving Circle.

Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta (JWFA) promotes social change and creates positive opportunities for Jewish women and girls. In the seven years since our inception, we have hosted a number of educational events, launched our signature Agents of Change Training program, and are in the final stages of a formal community-wide needs assessment. With that said, the primary way we execute our mission is through grantmaking. The event was a showcase of three of our local grantee partners and a simulation of our collective grantmaking process.

While the actual allocations process runs year-long and has many moving parts, rounds of votes, interviews, and discussions, the pop-up giving circle was designed to give women a taste of what it’s like to be around the table at a JWFA grant meeting. Learning from each other, hearing other’s opinions, and debating the relative merits of different projects all contribute to the experience.

Read the full article about pop-up giving circle by Rachel Wasserman at eJewish Philanthropy.