What are 'Giving Circles'?

We explain it to you in this opinion article written by our director Marta Alberch Terrés and published in Andorran newspaper last September 14.

.

"What could we call a group of people who come together to, jointly and voluntarily, make lump sum donations or give their time to the causes that are closest to them? The Anglo-Saxons have already found it. They're called Giving Circles, literally giving circles, and they're a new trend in philanthropy.

.

Consultant Jessica Bearman did a pretty thorough study of it and drew some interesting conclusions. Some of them are that people who are part of some of these circles end up donating more time or money than others, that they do it more strategically because they carefully choose the projects they want to collaborate with and that they reach a large number of small associations focused on specific issues such as women or children and minority groups or also provide patronage promoting art or culture.

.

The author Angela Eikenberry, in another study, observed that these groups are more supportive because they promote donations but also the civic engagement with the community of their members, which being groups in which participation is voluntary, the involvement is greater and which are very democratic since everyone decides with which NGOs or social associations to collaborate.

.

At bottom, it's still a way of personalizing solidarity: small groups with similar interests who choose where to put their grain of sand and who usually end up getting involved in the cause to which they donate. These circles can be formal or informal and an example to collect donations are the meetings or dinners of those who are part of them and put part of the money in a common fund.

.

This made me think that even though we haven't found a name for them here, they already exist. Friends who make this piggy bank bigger every time they meet and who, at the end of the year, choose where to allocate this money, I know some of them and I'm sure you too or are part of it. And if not, I encourage you to create one!”

.

If you are interested in creating one or have more information, the Andtropia team is at your disposal.