Everything Under The Sun: Virtual Giving Circles

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Virtual Giving Circles

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By far, the majority of us aren't wealthy. That's true worldwide and throughout the US. So, when we donate money, our impact is not in the millions of dollars, but even measured as single dollars. However, we much less wealthy people are also quite generous, well beyond the generosity of the obscenely wealthy. So, it's not that surprising that we would want to make a difference with our small amount of dollars.

One way that is still on the rise is giving circles. In many cases, these giving circles vet the organizations in need to make sure that they fit the direction of members of that giving circle. Sharon Lipinski is more than familiar with the concept of giving circles. She is the founder of CHANGE GANGS: VIRTUAL GIVING CIRCLES, which operates online to connect people to a giving circle that is focuses on a specific area. Potential donors can search for one compatible with the causes a potential donor wants to support.

The advantage of this approach is that, because of the many donations of circle members, a greater impact of those dollars is noticeable and the organizations are likely to utilize the donations more efficiently. That gives you a bigger bang for each dollar donated.

Those advantages have been noted by Ms. Lipinski, who commented, "Good philanthropy isn't easy. Our donations can be wasted on inefficient charities or unethical charities...on programs that don't work or no one wants. Even worse, our donation can hurt the very people we're trying to help. Good philanthropy requires knowledge, experience, and time."

How the giving circle process works.

The website has several different giving circles, encompassing the areas of compassion for pets, busting poverty, or supporting veterans. Fully participating donors give $25 per month, but a donor can also start as low as one dollar per month and work up to the membership level. Those who donate at the $25 level get access to the circle's site and can even nominate charities to receive the donations, along with voting on nominated charities. Those at the lower contribution level don't have the latter two privileges. This is a disciplined way to make sure that you donate a portion of your earnings to charity and to see the results of those donations pooled together.