Seven Women’s Giving Circles and Networks to Know

Giving circles are increasingly popular philanthropic vehicles for Americans, with their total number tripling in the span of a decade. It’s one hopeful sign at a time when giving by more modest donors has stagnated, and philanthropy has become an ever more top-heavy affair. While individual giving circles cannot move the scale of funds that large foundations or billionaire donors can, collectively, they can have a significant impact.

According to a 2018 report by the Collective Giving Research Group, it is estimated that giving circles have awarded as much as $1.29 billion to charitable causes. A more recent analysis of collective giving from Philanthropy Together, the giving-circles-focused PSO, noted that between 2017 and 2023, almost 4,000 collective giving groups mobilized 370,000 philanthropists to donate $3.1 billion. Philanthropy Together further estimates that this movement will double in scope by 2028. 

While collective giving isn’t a recent invention, today’s giving circles movement helps democratize philanthropy at a time when the ultra-rich are otherwise poised to dominate the social sector.

There is also an interesting gender dynamic at play — as many readers will be aware,  women donors have driven the exponential growth in giving circles. The above Philanthropy Together report also found that 84% of giving circles surveyed said that more than half of their members identified as women, and 60% of groups were made up entirely of women. As is the case with women’s foundations and women’s funds, giving circles make up an increasingly integral part of the women’s giving space within philanthropy. They are also structurally varied: Some belong to giving circle networks, others are housed at foundations, and some are standalone organizations. In addition, there are a number of women’s giving circles housed at universities where alumnae, students, faculty and staff can collectively support university programs and initiatives. 

There are thousands of giving circles out there, each doing important work. Here’s a nonexhaustive look at a few women’s giving circles and networks to know. 

​​Philanos

As one of the leading national women’s giving circle networks, Philanos (formerly known as Women’s Collective Giving Grantmakers Network) is focused on supporting the growth and sustainability of women’s giving circles. It was founded by Colleen Willoughby, who also founded the Washington Women’s Foundation in Seattle. Philanos now has 105 affiliates in 30 states, Washington D.C., the U.K. and Australia, all of which have collectively awarded more than $253 million to local communities. More than 20,000 women are involved in Philanos. Philanos offers networking opportunities; access to resources about giving circles, collective giving and issue areas through its Affiliate Forum; and ways to share and learn through webinars and membership roundtables.

Affiliates include a number of Impact100 giving circles (see below), as well as the Women’s Giving Circle of Southwest Florida, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together, Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle, Hestia Women’s Giving Circle, Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County, GivHer Circle, GIVING WoMN, Reno Women for Good, Rochester Women’s Giving Circle and Asian Women Giving Circle.

Impact100

Impact100 is a women’s collective giving organization with more than 75 chapters across the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. It was founded in 2001 by activist and social entrepreneur Wendy Steele, who sought to find new ways to expand and encourage women’s roles in philanthropy. The network relies on its Impact100 model —  at least 100 women coming together, each donating $1,000, to collectively give $100,000 to a local nonprofit organization. Over the past 24 years, Impact100 circles have awarded $160 million in grants across five main issue areas: arts and culture, education, family, and health and wellness.  

One notable example is Impact 100 Redwood Circle, which focuses its giving on Sonoma County, California. Boasting more than 280 members, Impact 100 Redwood Circle has awarded around $1.82 million to support 88 organizations across its decade of giving. Recent grantees include Women’s Recovery Service, The Botanical Bus, Face to Face, The Living Room, Conservation Corps North Bay and Los Cien. Impact100 giving circles are also active in plenty of other places, including New York City, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and South Jersey.

Latino Giving Circle Network

Housed at the Latino Community Foundation, the Latino Giving Circle Network is the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the U.S. The network allows for donors across cultures, generations and professional backgrounds to invest in local, Latino-led organizations and help make an impact in their communities. The network began in 2012 when a group of 14 Latina women in San Francisco came together to pool their resources and support community programs they cared about. Since then, the network has grown to 1,200 members across 33 circles, who have supported 181 grantees and awarded more than $3 million.

The network’s women-focused giving circles include the East Bay Latina Giving Circle, Peninsula Latina Giving Circle, Pleasanton Latina Giving Circle and San Francisco Latina Giving Circle. The Peninsula Latina Giving Circle, which is focused on Latino-led nonprofits in San Mateo County, prioritizes early childhood education, mental health, power building and civic engagement. Some of its grantees include Ayundado Latinos a Soñar, Family Connections and The Siena Youth Center.

The X Fund Giving Circle

The X Fund is a women’s giving circle housed at the Liberty Hill Foundation. Established in 2014, the circle works to address the needs of women and girls in Los Angeles, where Liberty Hill is based, supporting women-led organizations at the front lines of the gender justice movement. Originally named The XX Fund, it changed its name to The X Fund to ensure trans women and nonbinary individuals are empowered, included and represented in the giving circle’s work.

The X Fund supports both policy reform and direct services, focusing on education, job training, childcare, parental leave and sick leave; ending crimes against women and girls by providing support for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and rape; and working to achieve equity through efforts to end pay disparities, securing reproductive freedoms and civil rights, ending homelessness and poverty, and welcoming women refugees and immigrants.

This year’s grantees include Alliance for Girls, Black LA Relief and Recovery Fund, CA Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Garment Worker Center, Immigration Center for Women & Children, Trans Can Work, and Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project.

Black Trans Lives Thrive Giving Circle

The Black Trans Lives Thrive Giving Circle (BTLT) launched in June 2020 and sought to cover the operating costs for Black, trans-led organizations so that they could focus on supporting local communities and movement-building rather than fundraising. Originally an effort among a group of friends, BTLT has grown into a national network of 336 members, and has distributed $165,000 to 15 grantees. BTLT has a much lower threshold for membership support than many circles, with a suggested donation of $25 per month.

Its grantees include SWOP Bronx, The Okra Project, House of Tulip, For The Gworls, The Mahogany Project, Brave Space Alliance and Black Trans Nation.

South Side Giving Circle

The Chicago Foundation for Women’s South Side Giving Circle (SSGC) brings together women and nonbinary people who have meaningful connections to either Chicago’s South Side or the city’s South Suburbs and aims to support the economic, social and political power of Black women and girls in those communities. Founded in 2018, SSGC has awarded a total of $385,000 to organizations and Black women who inspire change through their leadership.

Recent grantees include 773 Dance Project, Black Girls Dance, Hey Benji Foundation, Free Root Operation, Kemtiyu Arts & Media and The Dreamcatcher Foundation.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Harford County

The Women’s Giving Circle of Harford County was founded in 2010 by a group of 16 women in Harford County, Maryland. To date, it has awarded almost $706,000 across 192 grants to 64 organizations that serve women, children and families in the county. This year’s grantees include Ashley, Inc., Fresh Start Furnishing, Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Homecoming Project, Harford County Education Foundation, Rage Against Addiction, The Hope Center of Maryland and the Victoria Russell Foundation.

Note (9/18/25): This article has been updated with more recent information from Philanthropy Together’s research on the gender composition of giving circles.

Featured