In honor of Women’s History Month, we are giving light to a moment in philanthropy that occurred on an ordinary summer’s day: In 2009, a diverse group of leaders from across the country gathered and decided it was time to put the power of philanthropy into the hands of the people. This convening for people-powered philanthropy was led by Colleen Willoughby, founder of the Washington Women’s Foundation (WaWF) in Seattle. Willoughby is recognized by many as the founder of the women’s collective giving movement. It was on that summer’s day in 2009 that she ultimately became the founder of the Women’s Collective Giving Grantmakers Network (WCGN), now known as Philanos.

Philanos is one of the top philanthropic organizations in the United States. Its mission is to inspire women’s philanthropic leadership and to equip and strengthen collective giving organizations through education and collaboration that promotes informed, impactful grantmaking in communities.

“We are proud of the impact our affiliates make. Today we stand at 82 affiliates, 18,000 individual members who collectively invest $15M annually in their communities,” says Paula Liang, Chair of Philanos.

Operating as an incorporated nonprofit organization, Philanos is a network that identifies and supports women’s collective giving organizations nationally and internationally. Philanos welcomes groups that are 501(c)(3)s (or are hosted by one), have members that contribute equally, have a democratic process, an educational component, are inclusive, empower women, and have established grant review and assessment processes as affiliates.

Read the full article about Philanos by Philanthropy Together.