Ways to Give

Start or join a giving circle.

Many donors are discovering the joys of philanthropy by joining with other like-minded individuals to form giving circles. To form a giving circle, donors pool their funds, invest them, and then make joint decisions about how to distribute the income and/or principal of these funds to charitable organizations in the form of grants. Donors will often commit to participating in a giving circle for a number of years at an established dollar level. The pooled funds may be held at a community foundation (in the form of a donor-advised fund, for example), at a local bank, or at some other nonprofit or commercial entity that will invest the funds and enable them to earn income.

Here in Connecticut, for example, a group of 13 Jewish couples met for 28 years to pray, share food, and collaborate on contributions to projects ranging from a local soup kitchen to an Israeli orphanage.