Impact Austin is a women’s collective giving group (CGG). Heck, everyone knows that, right?
But do you know what collective giving is, was, and most importantly, what it is becoming?
Collective giving has many levels and many faces, and the exact number of women’s collective giving groups is difficult to parse. Collective giving groups range from a few women gathering together with donations as low as a few hundred dollars each, to groups like Women Moving Millions where 210 women have given $50 million dollars collectively since 2007 to causes that benefit women and girls exclusively.
Impact Austin is a member of the Women Collective Giving Grantmakers Network* (WCGN), and we hosted their National Conference in 2012. We are one of the largest groups in the network, and WCGN offers training and support for women’s collective giving groups all over the nation. WCGN member groups range from as few as ten women to over 500!
Where is collective giving going?
According to the New York Times, nowhere but up. In Kerry Hannon’s 2013 article, Giving Circles: More Impact to Go Around, she reports that the combination of making an impact while making friends and learning more about community needs is a growing dynamic.
WCGN says, “During the past 19 years our member organizations have poured more than $59 million into their respective communities. In 2013 they collectively contributed almost $8 million to important causes.”
“Without you, there would be no collective giving. You started the movement. WCGN was built to help,” said Laura Midgley, chairman of the board of directors at the 2014 WCGN Forum. “Our mission is to support the creation, development and expansion of women’s collective giving nationwide as a partner in this exciting new form of philanthropy.”
You are part of a dynamic and growing movement of women who pool their resources to make impactful grants that change the world. Welcome to the future.
* WCGN changed its name to Catalist, www.catalistwomen.org
