If you were unable to attend this year’s AAC, you really missed a celebration!  This year’s AAC theme was “growing hope together.”  I likened us to a group of girlfriends sitting around a very large kitchen table discussing big challenges facing our society right now. As members of this girlfriend group, we are choosing to lean in — spend time discussing difficult issues.  Educating ourselves on the challenges faced by others. Learning, listening, appreciating different perspectives.  Like all girlfriend groups, we’re not going to all agree on everything. Yet our bonds and respect for each other enable us to be open and curious. All in the spirit of making a difference.

None of it would be possible without every single member. As you know, 100% of membership dues go directly toward those grants; without members, there would be no grants.  What’s more, members decide where the money goes — from participating in grant review teams, attending site visits, lending financial expertise, to submitting final selections.  It’s an honor to be surrounded by the women of Impact 100. 

And we’re philanthropists, although most of us don’t think of it that way. Sara Lomelin, leader of Philanthropy Together, envisions a more just world powered by everyday givers and sees giving circles, like Impact 100, as a key way to diversify and democratize philanthropy.  When we pool our funds together, the sum of the parts is much greater than any one of us can do individually.  And, it’s more than just money.  We grow too.

I just finished a book by Hali Lee entitled The Big We, how giving circles unlock generosity, strengthen community and make change.  Hali recognizes the work members like you are doing that not only changes outcomes for so many but also can change ourselves. She says, “In order to make decisions as a group, we (members) have to talk, discuss, argue, disagree and ultimately decide.  It’s a democratic form from the outset.  And because Giving Circles collect resources, they cultivate a mindset and practice of sharing for the greater good, moving from silence to talking and from scarcity and hoarding to abundance and generosity.  Giving circles invite us to shift our understanding of money from something that is held individually to a community resource.”  She goes on to say, “Building a giving circle practice gets the money flowing so it can become a force for good in our communities.”  And, last week, that was on full display at our awards celebration.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll begin our annual membership drive.  We’d love to have you continue on this journey as we work to make an even bigger impact in 2026.  Thank you all for your generosity of time, talents, and treasures.   

In gratitude,

Janet Collins