GaGLE Description

Gather and Give is a giving circle composed of young adults in the Washington D.C. area with a common interest in improving their community through collective philanthropy. Following a model developed by other giving circles, members pool their charitable contributions and participate in a collaborative and educational process of selecting a non-profit organization to support with their group donation. By pooling their donations, group members enhance the impact of their individual charitable gifts. The selection process involves learning more about pertinent social issues, narrowing the issue focus of the group and researching local non-profit organizations working to address the selected issues. In addition to researching issues and organizations, Gather and Give members conduct site visits, volunteer and host guest speakers at their meetings. All members commit in advance to making a minimum contribution of $75, attending at least three the meetings, and actively participating in the group’s collaborative selection process. Formed in Fall 2006, Gather and Give’s 14 members are all in their mid-20s and work in fields as diverse as business consulting, non-profit management, policy research, and construction management. For the first giving cycle, which will be completed by the end of May 2007, the group chose to base their donation and selection process around the theme of food, with particular interest in the issues of food security, nutrition and health, and sustainable food production. Gather and Give welcomes matching donations or non-voting contributions from individuals that are unable to actively participate in the group.