Women’s Giving Circle Forming To Meet Health Care Needs

Have you ever wanted to be in on the ground floor of a new group destined to do great things? Here’s your chance.

A Women’s Giving Circle — which will encourage and promote philanthropy among women — is being organized to provide funds for the unmet health care needs of women in the region.

An initial “Wine, Women, & Giving” gathering in late October provided an opportunity for local women to learn about the significant impact that Women’s Giving Circles are having across the country. More informational events are being planned in the near future.

The Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation Women’s Giving Circle will focus on meeting the health care needs of the under-insured and uninsured women in the community. Previously, funds for that purpose were generated by the annual Women’s Health Classic, which raised $300,000 for various women’s issues between 1997 and 2004.

“The Women’s Health Classic has been discontinued, but the need for funds remains,” said Foundation Manager Ruth Bloomer. “We started exploring new ideas for fundraising last spring and this idea caught on.”

The goal of the new Women’s Giving Circle is to have 100 or more members from the five-county region who will annually donate $1,000. “Disbursement of those funds will be donor-directed, so members have a voice in determining how funds are used,” Bloomer explained.

“Women involved in these giving circles understand that they can make a real difference in the quality of people’s lives,” she added. “It doesn’t require a lot of their time or energy but they can still feel they are contributing to something that has meaningful results. One hundred percent of the funds will go to programs and services.”

Women’s Giving Circles began around the country a few years ago. Women quickly adapted them from investment clubs to groups focused on philanthropy that targeted societal needs.

“Everyone in a giving circle donates the same amount of money, and that provides an equality and inclusiveness that seems to appeal to women,” Bloomer said.