Giving

Women join the giving circle with donations between $2,500 and $25,000, which they can pay over a five-year period. The board of the Jewish Community Foundation started the giving circle in 1988 as a way to involve more women in philanthropy, says Levi.

The Women’s Endowment Fund works by sending requests for proposals, then a committee conducts a preliminary review of the applications. A representative from each group is invited to speak before the full membership of the giving circle; members vote on what grants to make. Giving circle members often conduct a site visit or make follow-up phone calls to see how their funds are being used.

The giving circle provides many assets to the community, financial and otherwise. “I think it’s really important for as many people as possible to know what’s going on in the community. More awareness leads to more giving to areas that are needy,” Levi says. “We now have many more women who are quite knowledgeable about what the needs of the community are, and it results in more giving to the community.”