全球视野 | 捐赠圈帮助捐赠人找到金钱之外的目的

全球视野

每周从全球各大与公益慈善或社会创新领域相关的媒体或专业网站，去浏览发现当下正在发生的案例和正在思考的观点，然后翻译整理成篇，传达第一手的新鲜资讯。栏目希望可以通过文章的视角或者表述，为会员伙伴们提供启发、打开视野。

文章《Giving Circles Help Donors Find Purpose Beyond The Money/捐赠圈帮助捐赠人找到金钱之外的目的》发布在福布斯新闻网站上。作者Marie Sherlock来自Next Avenue，这是一家公共媒体，专注为美国蓬勃发展的老年人口提供全国性新闻服务。文章探讨了“捐赠圈”的概念及其意义，展现了这一慈善形式如何帮助捐赠人超越金钱层面寻找个人价值和社会影响。

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." 

“永远不要怀疑，一小群有思想且坚定的公民能够改变世界。事实上，只有这样才能改变世界。” 

In this revered quote, anthropologist Margaret Mead neatly sums up the grassroots magic of giving circles: that a few like-minded souls working together can make a difference. 

在人类学家玛格丽特·米德这句备受推崇的名言中，她巧妙地概括了捐赠圈的草根魔力：少数志同道合的人携手努力，便能带来改变。 

Giving circles can be as informal as a few friends pooling their money to donate to their favorite charity. Readers Reaching Out — an eight-member book club in Reno, Nevada — does just that, making collective gifts to nonprofits working on causes that they've learned about through their reading. 

捐赠圈可以是非正式的，比如几个朋友凑钱捐给他们最喜欢的慈善机构。在内华达州里诺市，一个由八名成员组成的读书俱乐部Readers Reaching Out（意为：阅读者伸出援手）就是这样做的，他们通过阅读了解各种公益议题，并将资金集中捐赠给相关的非营利组织。 

Alternatively, a giving circle can be an organized group of hundreds of individuals, banding together to make a difference in their community. The giving circle called Ninety-Nine Girlfriends, which has grown to include 334 "girlfriends," makes sizable grants to nonprofits addressing needs in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. 

另外，捐赠圈也可以是一个由数百人组成的、有组织的团体，他们联合起来为社区做出贡献。以Ninety-Nine Girlfriends（意为：九十九位女性朋友）捐赠圈为例，该组织已发展到包含334名“女性朋友”的规模，并向俄勒冈州波特兰都会区的非营利组织提供大额资助，以解决当地的实际需求。 

Philanthropy Together, a global collective giving initiative, estimates there are about 4,000 giving circles currently operating in the United States. And they are, indeed, making a difference. "Between 2017 and 2023, giving circles gave away nearly $3.1 billion," says Ilyasah N. Shabazz, communications director for Philanthropy Together, adding that this amply demonstrates the power of those "small group[s] of thoughtful, committed, citizens." 

全球集体捐赠倡议组织Philanthropy Together估计，目前美国约有4000个活跃的捐赠圈，它们确实正在产生深远影响。该组织的传播总监伊利亚萨·N·沙巴兹表示：“从2017年至2023年，捐赠圈共捐出了近31亿美元。”她补充道，这充分证明了那些“少数有思想且坚定的公民团体”的力量。

What exactly is a giving circle? In a nutshell, "giving circles are groups of people with shared values and/or interests who pool donations and decide together where to allocate their money," explains Shabazz. 

捐赠圈究竟是什么？一言以蔽之，“捐赠圈是由具有共同价值观和/或兴趣爱好的人组成的团体，他们汇集捐款，共同决定如何分配资金”，沙巴兹解释道。 

Given such a broad definition, it is not surprising that giving circles vary greatly, both in size and focus. 

鉴于捐赠圈的定义如此宽泛，捐赠圈的规模和侧重点千差万别，也就不足为奇了。 

Based on size alone, Shabazz believes that the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara, with about 1,200 members, might be the country's largest giving circle. On the other end of the spectrum, giving circles can be as small as two individuals "coming together for multiplied impact," says Shabazz. Or, like Readers Reaching Out in Reno, your intimate, monthly book club. 

仅从规模来看，沙巴兹认为拥有约1200名成员的圣塔芭芭拉女性基金，可能是美国最大的捐赠圈。而在另一端，捐赠圈可以小到只有两个人，沙巴兹说：“携手合作，以实现更大的影响力。”也可以像里诺市的Readers Reaching Out读书俱乐部那样，是一个亲密的小型月度聚会团体。 

The causes supported are equally wide-ranging, from health and education to community development and human rights, according to Shabazz. 

沙巴兹表示，捐赠圈支持的公益领域同样广泛，从卫生和教育到社区发展和人权等各个方面。

A comprehensive report on the impact of these cooperative efforts was published in 2023: “In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.” That study revealed that nearly three-quarters of the groups earmark funds to stay in their home state, mostly within their immediate community. It also found that 92% of group members identified as women. Consequently, says Emily Rasmussen, founder and CEO of Grapevine, an online platform dedicated to supporting giving circles, "we often see women and girls as a key area of support." 

2023年，一份关于这些合作的影响力的全面报告发布，报告名为《丰盈：美国集体捐赠蓬勃发展的分析/In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.》。该报告显示，近四分之三的捐赠圈，将资金指定用于捐赠圈所在的州内，主要集中在其本地临近社区。同时，报告还发现，92%的捐赠圈成员自我认同为女性。致力于支持捐赠圈的在线平台Grapevine的创始人兼CEO艾米丽·拉斯穆森表示：“我们经常看到女性和女童成为支持的重点领域。” 

Many giving circles are part of a parent network, like the 100 Who Care Alliance (with over 700 chapters worldwide) and the Awesome Foundation, whose affiliates award monthly $1,000 "awesome grants." Others are unconnected to a wider network, like Moving Mountains Giving Circle, a group of 49 women earmarking their collective funds to support social change in Boulder County, Colorado. 

许多捐赠圈都是更大的网络的一部分，如100 Who Care联盟（意为：100人关爱联盟），它在全球有700多个分会；以及Awesome基金会，其附属机构每月发放1000美元的“超棒赠款”。还有一些捐赠圈则与更广泛的网络没有关系，比如Moving Mountains捐赠圈（意为：移动山脉），这是一个由49名妇女组成的团体，她们将自己的集体资金用于支持科罗拉多州博尔德县的社会变革。 

As noted, women dominate this charitable sector. For example, there are more than 350 100 Women Who Care chapters, part of the 100 Who Care Alliance. But there are also dozens of 100 Men Who Care groups as well as numerous Guys for Good efforts around the country. Some giving circles are geared toward specific careers or fields such as human resources professionals, artists, marketing, advertising and mental health professionals. Identity-based groups like the Asian Women Giving Circle are also common. 

如前所述，女性主导了这一慈善领域。例如，100 Women Who Care有超过350个分会，都隶属于100 Who Care联盟。但也有几十个100 Men Who Care团体，以及美国各地的多个Guys for Good项目。一些捐赠圈面向特定的职业或领域，如人力资源专业人士、艺术家、市场营销、广告和心理健康专业人士。以身份为基础的团体，如Asian Women捐赠圈（意为：亚裔女性），也十分常见。 

Many, like most of the 100 Who Care Alliance, meet quarterly; some convene only once a year and still others gather monthly. Most follow the typical giving circle emphasis of donating to nonprofits addressing needs in the local community. 

许多捐赠圈，比如100 Who Care联盟的大部分分会，每季度召开一次会议；有些捐赠圈每年仅聚会一次，还有一些则每月聚会。大多数捐赠圈遵循典型的捐赠圈重点，即向解决本地社区需求的非营利组织捐款。 

One of the rare ones that focuses on making a difference globally is Together Women Rise. It began in 2003 when a group of women in Greenville, South Carolina, started gathering monthly for potlucks, pooling the money that they would have spent going out for a meal and then donating those funds to a nonprofit-of-the-month. From the beginning, the group focused on empowering women in high-poverty areas of the world (their first beneficiary was Women for Women International). 

Together Women Rise（意为：女性共同崛起）是少有的、专注于在全球范围内发挥作用的组织之一。该组织始于2003年，当时是一群来自南卡罗来纳州格林维尔的女性开始每月进行聚会聚餐，大家将原本打算用于外出就餐的钱集中起来，然后将这些资金捐赠给当月指定的非营利组织。从一开始，这个团体就专注于赋能全球贫困地区的女性（她们的第一个受益者是女性互助国际组织/Women for Women International）。 

Since that modest start, Rise has raised more than $11 million to make a difference in the lives of five million women and girls in more than 70 countries. Today there are hundreds of Rise chapters across the United States and nearly all still host potlucks. "We know that the connection over food extends far beyond that one experience and unites members to the women and girls we're supporting around the world," explains Beverley Francis-Gibson, the nonprofit's CEO. 

自成立之初，Together Women Rise已经筹集了1100多万美元，为70多个国家的500万妇女和女孩的生活带来了改变。如今，Together Women Rise在全美有数百个分会，几乎所有分会仍然举办聚餐活动。该非营利组织的CEO贝弗利·弗朗西斯-吉布森解释说：“我们知道，食物带来的联系远远超出了单一的聚餐体验，它让组织成员与我们在世界各地支持的妇女和女孩，团结在一起。” 

Rasmussen sums up the landscape: "Giving Circles take all shapes and sizes and employ a variety of methods for when and how their members gather, how much money they pool per member and how they identify and select nonprofit recipients," she concludes. 

艾米丽·拉斯穆森总结道：“捐赠圈有各种形式和规模，采用不同的方法来决定成员何时、如何聚集，每位成员捐款多少，以及如何确定和选择非营利组织受赠者。”

How are these groups better than individual giving? The list of advantages includes connection, purpose, education, agency and more. 

这些团体捐赠比个人捐赠好在哪里？这些优势包括连接感、使命感、教育机会、能动性等。 

"Giving circles foster a sense of belonging, purpose and connection to a community," says Shabazz. The In Abundance study found that 82% of members joined collective giving groups to establish relationships with like-minded folks. 

伊利亚萨·N·沙巴兹说：“捐赠圈培养了一种归属感、目的感和与社区的联系。《丰盈》研究发现，82%的成员加入集体捐赠团体，是为了与志同道合的人建立联系。 

Other benefits that significant majorities mentioned in that report include an increased sense of purpose in life, an enhanced ability to live one's values, greater agency and civic engagement and a better understanding of the needs of their communities. 

大多数人在报告中提到的其他益处还包括：增强了生活目标感、更好地践行个人价值观、提高了能动性和公民参与度，以及更好地了解社区的需求。 

"Participants become more well-rounded, educated," Philanthropy Together concluded, "and grow a broader context from which to make philanthropic decisions." 

Philanthropy Together总结道：“参与者变得更面面俱到、知识更丰富，并从中获得更广泛的视角，进而作出更具慈善意义的决策。”

Individuals join giving circles to "amplify their impact for good," says Rasmussen. The In Abundance report concluded that nearly 4,000 giving groups representing 370,000 individuals had collectively donated more than $3 billion since 2017. 

艾米丽·拉斯穆森说：“个人加入捐赠圈是为了‘放大他们对公益的影响。’”《丰盈》报告认为，自2017年以来，近4000个捐赠团体代表37万名个人，已共同捐赠超过30亿美元。

Giving circles deliver a bigger bang for your buck due to the positive peer pressure that comes with the territory. "I prefer the term peer accountability to peer pressure," says Rasmussen. "Like many things we want to do that are good for us and others, we sometimes need accountability partners to help us see them through." 

捐赠圈能够让你的捐赠发挥更大的效果，这得益于其中的积极的同伴压力。拉斯穆森表示：“我更喜欢使用‘同伴问责’这个词，而不是‘同伴压力’。”她解释道：“就像我们想做的、许多对自己和他人有益的事情一样，我们有时需要问责伙伴来帮助我们坚持到底。”

"Giving circles serve as an opportunity for practicing democracy. People with differing viewpoints have discussions together and eventually come to an agreement or consensus through a democratic process," says Shabazz. 

伊利亚萨·N·沙巴兹说：“捐赠圈为实践民主提供了机会。持有不同观点的人们共同讨论，并最终通过民主过程达成一致或共识。” 

These groups are also more racially diverse than the general population, adding to the depth of discussions and to "smaller and more diverse organizations and causes getting funded," according to Rasmussen. A win-win. 

艾米丽·拉斯穆森表示，这些团体在种族多样性方面也比一般人群更为丰富，这增加了讨论的深度，同时也使“更小型、更多样化的组织和事业获得资助”。这可以说是一个双赢局面。

There has been a decline in the number of Americans donating to nonprofits for years, a shift that was exacerbated by the 2017 restructuring of the tax code. Giving circles are helping to alter that trajectory. "Amidst this, giving circles' growth is a bright spot," says Rasmussen. "It's showing us how we can reverse this trend and engage more people — and a broader diversity of people — in giving." 

多年来，向非营利组织捐款的美国人一直在减少，这一趋势在2017年税法改革后愈加明显。捐赠圈正在帮助改变这一趋势。拉斯穆森表示：“在这种情况下，捐赠圈的增长是一个亮点。它向我们展示了如何扭转这一趋势，并吸引更多人，以及更广泛的多样化群体，来参与捐赠。”

There are two basic ways to hop on the collective-giving bandwagon: Join an existing circle — or start your own. 

加入集体捐赠行列有两种基本的方法：加入现有的圈子，或者建立自己的圈子。 

Whichever approach you end up taking, it's probably best to start by exploring the Global Giving Circle Directory, a joint effort of Philanthropy Together and Grapevine. With thousands of existing circles, odds are pretty high that you'll find one that fits you. 

无论最终采取哪种方式，最好的起点可能是探索Global Giving Circle Directory/全球捐赠圈目录，这是Philanthropy Together和Grapevine联合推出的。目录上包含了数千个捐赠圈，您很有可能会找到一个适合自己的。 

If you decide to form your own group, Shabazz says that giving circles start with a conversation. "Find friends with a shared desire to make an impact in your community and share why you're passionate about giving and why you want to do it together," she advises. 

伊利亚萨·N·沙巴兹表示，如果您决定组建自己的团体，捐赠圈可以从一次对话开始。她建议道：“找到那些有共同愿望、希望在社区中产生影响的朋友，分享您为何对捐赠充满热情，以及为何想要一起做这件事。” 

Grapevine can provide help, with free tools and steps to get you started. "We will send you all the additional resources, tips and tricks, training, etcetera that you need," says Rasmussen. Philanthropy Together offers plenty of assistance as well. 

Grapevine组织可以提供帮助，提供免费的工具和步骤，帮助您起步。艾米丽·拉斯穆森表示：“我们将为您提供所有额外的资源、技巧、培训等，帮助您顺利开始。” Philanthropy Together组织也可以提供大量的支持。 

So, does membership in one of these compassionate communities make sense for you? 

那么，加入这些充满同情心的社区，对您来说是否有意义呢？ 

"It's one of the most impactful things you can do as an everyday donor," says Rasmussen. "I think everyone should be in a giving circle." 

艾米丽·拉斯穆森说：“这是作为普通捐赠人能做的、最具影响力的事情之一。我认为每个人都应该加入一个捐赠圈。”