Giving Tuesday is celebrated as a global day of giving, held each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. At Impact Austin, we celebrate with a focus on women’s philanthropy and rebrand the day as Collective Giving Tuesday! Join our live webinar on November 30 (also available on Facebook Live) as we spotlight four giving circles in Texas, celebrating how we are similar – and different - from one another. Let’s learn together as we explore:
The sisterhood of collective giving
How individuals and giving circles can have a broader reach and impact when working together
How giving circles like Impact Austin are building champions for collective giving across Texas
How #collectivegiving may inspire women to give “above and beyond” in their individual philanthropy
Impact 100 Houston was founded in August 2020 to promote social change in Houston. The co-founders drew inspiration from the community engagement of other collective giving organizations, and they have affiliated with Impact 100. Impact100 Houston will award grants to nonprofits in the focus areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Family, Health & Wellness, and Environment. They recently announced inaugural grants totaling $188,000.
Representing Impact 100 Houston will be its co-founder and current President Jessica Graham. A native Houstonian, Jessica is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin who began her nearly 20-year fundraising career in New York City and then Philadelphia before returning to Houston in 2012. Her experience ranges from small, early-stage nonprofits to established organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Away from work, Jessica is an active volunteer, passionate about investing in the community through nonprofit organizations and early stage female-founded companies.
The Texas Women's Foundation hosts and supports several giving circles, which have coalesced around shared experience, culture or interests. All giving circles at Texas Women’s Foundation are aligned with TWF's core mission and values of advancing the economic security and leadership opportunities for women, girls and families.
The Orchid Giving Circle® was founded in 2015 at Texas Women’s Foundation as a group of Asian women who work together, pooling their resources and leveraging their networks, to award large community grants that support social change and services for the North Texas Asian community. Orchid members represent a wide range of Asian cultures, ages, ethnicities, and professions with the goal of increasing awareness of local Asian population, community needs, and knowledge about philanthropy. In seven years, they have awarded $1,078,500 to 30 different organizations. They are a member of the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), a national, member-supported philanthropic advocacy organization dedicated to advancing philanthropy and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.
Mylinh Luong is Chair and Founding Member of the Orchid Giving Circle and will represent them in this webinar. Mylinh is the Strategic Sourcing Manager for Dairy Farmers of America, the largest dairy producer in the country. Mylinh’s story as a philanthropist and community advocate begins with her early experiences as a refugee of the Vietnam War. Years after fleeing Vietnam, Mylinh's family would receive support from the Catholic Church to bring them to the U.S., where they eventually landed in Dallas. It is this support that Mylinh credits with sparking her passion for community and philanthropy.
The Village Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation was organized in 2017 to honor, sustain, and expand the legacy of African American women’s philanthropy by funding organizations and initiatives that positively impact the African-American community in North Texas. The Village was borne out of a desire to harness the collective giving power and influence of African-American women philanthropists, and in recognition of the need to provide opportunities for like-minded African American women to form connections that enhance their civic leadership activities. They are approaching $1 million in total giving.
Founder Lisa Montgomery will speak from The Village Giving Circle. Lisa is the owner and Creative Director of Luxe Events in Frisco, Texas, specializing in large scale corporate and social events. Lisa is a committed and engaged community volunteer, serving on multiple boards, including those of the Texas Women’s Foundation and the AT&T Performing Arts Center, where she heads their community and arts program, helping to make the arts accessible to children in under-resourced school districts. In 2017, she fulfilled a long time goal of founding a giving circle that makes community grants to local nonprofit organizations.
The H100 Latina Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation was established in 2019 by the Hispanic 100 Network to further engage Latina women in philanthropy, and to expand resources for local organizations whose mission is to empower, educate and support Latinas and our community. The Latina Giving Circle’s grants are limited to $10,000; they have awarded $385,000 to nonprofits across North Texas. The Hispanic 100 Network was founded in 1996 as an organization of trailblazing Latina leaders in the Dallas/Fort Worth area whose contributions have shaped, influenced and transformed how Latinas are viewed in business, education, arts, health, politics and community leadership.
Speaking for H100 Latina Giving Circle is co-chair Cristina (Cris) Wong, also a founding member of Hispanic 100 Network. Cris is a managing director at Goldman Sachs, serving in a chief operating officer capacity. She is active within several nonprofit organizations including Fair Park First, created to oversee the stewardship of a 277-acre Dallas City Park and National Historic Landmark. She is a passionate advocate for the North Central Texas Alzheimer’s Association, and works with her daughter in the National Charity League. Cris also serves in the Community Foundation of Texas’ Leadership Council and is a member of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas.
Please join Impact Austin and these giving circles as we celebrate Giving Tuesday
in a very special way - highlighting the power of collective giving, the rise of the
collective giving movement, and impact stories from across Texas.
November 30, 2021
12:00-1:00 PM
