If you’ve ever donated to a cause but worried that your contribution wasn’t really enough to drive real change, you’re not alone. As one person, it can be tough to feel like you’re making a
real difference, especially if you don’t have a lot to donate or if times are tough (aka there’s a worldwide pandemic going on.)
That’s why, for years, the idea of philanthropy felt a little bit like a rich person’s thing: if you had millions, you could donate and make change. The rest of us were just tossing pennies into a cup without really doing much.
But that’s a problem: the priorities of a wealthy few don’t represent the priorities of many, which means that good causes are often left underfunded, leading to a lack of meaningful action.
The thing is: it doesn’t have to be like this. We can
all make a difference, especially if we pool our money together.
Enter: Giving Circles. These are when groups of people with shared values come together to drive change. They do it by pooling their time and money together, then deciding as a circle where it should go. That way, they can cause a real targeted change in one place quickly in a very people-powered way by giving what they can, whether that’s volunteer hours, money, or a mix of both. Best of all, Giving Circles are a social experience — you get to work together as a community to make sure you do the most good you can.
In other words, giving circles are a way to democratize philanthropy, making it more accessible regardless of your age, income, gender, or race.
That’s why this year, The Elevate Prize, a nonprofit founded in 2019, is launching a
new pop-up “Giving Circle” program so that problem solvers, budding philanthropists, and anyone that wants to do good can come together and drive real impact at a large scale. And you can do it all in just 90 minutes.
All you have to do is join one of the Elevate Giving Circles online. Learn about organizations doing good for the world, then pool your money together, and as a group, direct it where you think that donation could make the most difference.
But that’s not all: every single donation made is matched by the Elevate Prize Foundation — basically guaranteeing that you double your impact for good. The theme for the first cycle is education, and Elevate Giving will match up to $75,000 in total donations for each cycle.
Ready to get involved?
Elevate Giving experiences start June 26th, so sign up now for your spot to make a difference. There’s no minimum fee to join either — so get involved no matter what you have to give. Now that’s philanthropy for all.