Money Matters and More

At a time when most of us are trying to tighten our belts and are cutting back on expenses, many charitable organizations are having a tough time reaching their goals of meeting needs of the community.  What can individuals do to help meet the challenges of our community, while continuing to keep an eye on our spending?

Answer:  Consider creating or joining a giving circle.  A giving circle is a group made up of individual donors who pool their money, ideas and other resources and jointly decide where these funds should be distributed. 

Over the past decade, the number of giving circles has grown, and it’s estimated that hundreds of them currently operate in the U.S.   The funds benefit a whole range of issues including youth development, women and girls, and human and mental health services.  The size of each donor’s contribution varies from giving circle to giving circle, but often range from $150 to more than $10,000 per year.

Want more information about how to create a giving circle?  Check out the Forum of Regional Association’s Giving Circles Knowledge Center at www.givingforum.org/givingcircles.  Also, free to email us at moneymattersandmore@yahoo.com, or contact us at Facebook (moneymattersandmore) or Twitter (moneyandmore). 

**Check out today’s Money Matters and More interview on CBS Affiliate WUSA Channel 9 at www.dvmourtime.com.

Looking for tips on starting your own giving circle?  Be sure to tune in to this week’s edition of Money Matters and More on blogtalkradio.com, Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Thanks for reading the Money Matters and More blog and have a great week!

Heather Taylor