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In Charleston, S.C., a growing
number of women are joining forces, pooling money and making
a considerable impact on the community. Known as Women Making
a Difference, this dynamic group has generated more than $335,000
since 2002 to enhance quality of life in the Lowcountry.
The mission for Women Making
a Difference is to build a community of women philanthropists,
maintain a permanent endowment fund, and provide grants to
institutions and initiatives that advance the well-being of
women and children in Charleston. Read our bylaws.
Started by three women of varying ages and backgrounds, Women
Making a Difference strives to build a community of women
philanthropists, generate significant annual grants and maintain
a permanent endowment so the good work will be carried out
for generations to come.
Women Making a Difference is
a giving circle, a group of savvy women who band together
to increase their giving power, and grants are supported by
annual membership donations. Members make annual, tax-deductible
donations between $250 and $2,500; membership is open to all
women. Modeled after book and investment clubs, giving circles
are comprised of like-minded individuals who leverage their
resources, time and energy to make an impact that supersedes
the effort of a lone donor. This type of philanthropy has
emerged as one of the fastest growing trends in charitable
giving, according to New Ventures in Philanthropy, a Washington,
D.C.-based organization.
Women Making a Difference, like many giving circles, funnels
membership dues into a donor-advised fund managed by the local
community foundation. Women Making a Difference pays one percent
of annual contributions to the Coastal Community Foundation
for its managerial and related resources; 85% of funds go
directly to grants; 10% of funds go into Women Making a Difference’s
endowment fund to insure future giving.
“Believe me,” says Tish Lynn of the Coastal Community
Foundation, “Women Making a Difference is still cutting
edge. The rest of the country is just now catching up and
talking about giving circles. Truly, you have made it possible
for women to be philanthropic in a very special way.”
In addition to having a voice when deciding which area non-profits
to fund, members gather at a member’s home one Wednesday
a month for wine and networking. The organization hosts a
large membership drive party in late spring and grants are
dispersed at a ceremony in November.
At the 2004 grant awards ceremony, a representative from the
Humanities Foundation ShelterNet Program, a group that steps
in to save families from imminent homelessness by providing
one-time assistance with rent and utility bills, reported
that 77 families were kept off the street thanks to Women
Making a Difference’s grant. That is just one example
of the way Women Making a Difference is creating a ripple
of hope and compassion throughout the Charleston community.
Founders
Katie Dukes
Weesie Newton
Nancy Snowden
Founders' Circle (previous executive committee members)
Carrie Bailey-Morey
Ida Becker
Kay Chitty
LuAnn McCants
Jennifer Rhodes
Elizabeth Sinkler
Nancye Starnes
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