Building legacy, producing powerful impact, while working with like-minded women ….  That is the work of the Center for Women’s Philanthropy at the Community Foundation of Central Florida. I am here today to tell you our story and to ask you to join in our work.

The Center for Women’s Philanthropy offers an exciting and innovative way for women to become involved in philanthropy and in making a difference in the community.  The innovation is called Giving Circles and across the country people are coming together to form these Circles.   The concept is quite simple; individuals equally pool their money and decide collectively how to use that money to make a difference.

Giving Circles add a new dimension to personal philanthropy and I am very excited to be at the foundation of this effort.  Again, here is how it works.  Individuals contribute equally to a pooled fund.   Together, they decide where the money goes.  But it does not stop there!  The financial gift is closely monitored and the results are reported back to the Giving Circle.  Thus, everyone knows exactly how their contributions have impacted the community.  Ultimately, Giving Circles provide significant financial support to community organizations and enable these organizations to have impacts that were not possible without the Giving Circles.

For the last five years, a group of women joined together to try out this giving circle idea.  After researching and vetting non profit organizations that were assisting women, the group made a grant to Harbor House for the purpose of increasing individual gift giving.  Harbor House at that time received almost all of their funding from government.  They established a development office and all the board and staff became trained and involved in fundraising.   In three short years there has been a 58% increase in individual donations and 36% increase in foundation giving.  That equates to a 60% non-government increase in funding!

Anecdotally, there are even greater results.  Through the fundraising training, Harbor House honed their fundraising skills.  When KB Homes met with the staff they were so impacted by the need and the issue stated by a determined and skilled Executive Director, they donated not the planned renovations but  a new shelter home! This group’s investment of $150,000 over three years has been returned to the community 10 fold.  Harbor House’s capacity has been increased.  The issue of domestic abuse is more widely known in our community.  I cannot tell you what it means to them to know that their investment has in part resulted in a warm, beautiful shelter for women and their children who have escaped and are now healing from a time of terror.

Once the Center for Women’s Philanthropy saw the results, they began to dream even bigger.  What if there was a giving circle of 100 or more women each giving $1100 to the community?  They called the group 100 Women Strong and envisioned this group of women building a legacy of philanthropy in Central Florida.  Now that is quite a vision.  It is our hope that each of you will consider joining us in this vision.

Imagine being part of 100 Women Strong and contributing at least $100,000 each and every year towards solving community issues.  Imagine the difference we can make on those issues we as women care about.  Imagine strategically giving to issues where our gifts will truly make an impact.  Imagine being connected with other caring and serving women.  Take a deep breath and imagine.