The Women’s Giving Circle of North Central Florida can best be described as a way for women to support other women in their community. The organization, founded in 2006, provides a philanthropic platform that facilitates the distribution of financial donations to local programs in Alachua County.
“The Women’s Giving Circle is based upon collective giving, the power of pooling individual donations to make a gift to programs that change the lives of women and girls in Alachua County,” said Deborah Rossi, the vice chair for the circle.
Each member of the circle contributes a donation of $1,000 per year, which is then applied toward the formation of grants. Since its establishment, the organization has granted an overwhelming total of $649,548 to 24 different agencies in the community. The individual grants have ranged from $1,000 to fund dental work at ACORN Medical Clinic to $50,000 for the Women in the Workplace program at Meridian Behavioral Health.
Santa Fe College’s Back to Work 50+ is another example of a program that has received a $50,000 grant from the circle. The program, part of the Women’s Economic Stability Initiative, serves to build confidence among women and provide them with the necessary training to attain successful careers.
The impact of each grant is made apparent by the way such programs impact actual people. For instance, after 27 years under her former employer, a woman named Karen was laid off from her job. With the help of the Back to Work 50+ program, Karen was able to secure a great position as a full-time IT programmer with an annual salary of $50,000.
“After participating in the program, my confidence level was as high as when I graduated college 30 years ago,” she said. “It showed too — within weeks of completing the program, I interviewed for a position in my field and received a job offer.”
Due to the growing number of applicants and the increasing competition among them, the circle contracted Dr. Nancy Hardt to create a report on the status of women and girls in Alachua County. Hardt, a pathologist and professor at the University of Florida, included her recommendations in the research report. With the guidance of the circle’s executive committee, Hardt’s recommendations have formed the criteria for the 2016 grant pool.
“The report allows us to be more strategic in our funding decisions,” said Ester Tibbs, a founding member of the circle and its immediate past president. “We are assured that our grants are funding programs that will have an impact on an identified problem in a specific area of the community.”
This year, the circle will commemorate its tenth year of collective giving with its Decade of Impact celebration. Through successful word of mouth, the organization continues to grow and give back to the community.
“While we are pleased with our contributions to date, we know that we can have an even greater impact in the future as we increase our membership and maintain our strategic focus,” Tibbs said.