Giving Circle Membership: How Collective Giving Impacts Donors

Abstract

The number of giving circles in the U.S. has tripled in the last decade. Giving circles are now located in every state in the U.S., and engage people from a wide variety of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, gender identities, and age groups. Giving circles are estimated to have given as much as $1.29 billion to charitable causes since their inception. Amounts that individual members contribute to giving circles vary widely, and giving circles support a wide range of charitable causes and organizations, both through grants and their members’ volunteer time.