FAQ.
How does a non-profit apply for funding from the Seacoast Women's
Giving Circle?
Each year the Giving Circle members select one specific community issue on which to focus and one organization to receive the group's annual financial gift through a competitive grant application process. Past issues have included the environment, children's issues and housing and homelessness. After learning about the broad topic in depth, the Giving Circle identifies a targeted area for investment and requests grant proposals from eligible non-profit organizations. Each year, the grant application is posted to our website in December and completed applications are due in mid-January. The pool of applicants is reviewed by the GIVE Committee, which selects four to five semi-finalists. After further review and due diligence, two finalists are then invited to present in-person to the Giving Circle members in May. The recipient of the annual gift is chosen in June. Please check our website in mid-December to download the 2011 grant application and guidelines. We do not provide funding outside of our annual grant cycle.
Only organizations that address the current topic and provide services in or to some or all of the following Seacoast towns of NH and Maine are eligible to apply: Seabrook, Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Rye, Portsmouth, New Castle, and Kittery. At this time we do not fund organizations serving Strafford County or any towns except the eight Seacoast towns listed above.
What is the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle?
The Seacoast Women's Giving Circle was founded in April 2006 by a group of women eager to use their skills and resources to address critical issues facing the Seacoast community. Members contribute a minimum of $200 annually and participate in volunteer service projects in the community. Over the course of the year, members educate themselves about community issues, identify a specific social cause on which to focus, and select one non-profit organization to receive the Giving Circle's annual gift.
The Seacoast Women's Giving Circle is part of a growing national trend. According to Giving Together a report by New Ventures in Philanthropy, giving circles nationwide boast almost 12,000 members and have poured more than $100 million into communities, the majority since 2000.
What is the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle's mission?
The Seacoast Women's Giving Circle is committed to improving the quality of life in the region through collective giving and grassroots action. Our goals are to:
- LEARN
Educate members—through our own research and input from area leaders—about local issues and groups that support the welfare of our community; - GIVE
Invest funds annually in a non-profit organization active on the Seacoast and galvanize support for and awareness of that organization; - ACT
Initiate opportunities for our members and their families to volunteer in the community.
Can women on the Seacoast still join the group?
Yes. There are three types of members: Active, Alumna and Backer. All members in the Giving Circle contribute a minimum of $200 directly to the annual non-profit gift recipient and participate in our three-part mission: Learn, Give, Act. We are currently seeking Backer Members. Learn more information about membership.
How does the group select volunteer service projects?
The Giving Circle's ACT Committee is charged with identifying, selecting and planning our volunteer projects. Currently, we engage in four main projects per year. These projects often support current and past issues targeted by the Giving Circle. For example, we revisited our 2007/2008 giving issue, housing and homelessness, by initiating a holiday drive for families living in affordable housing the following year.
The Giving Circle's volunteer projects are suggested by members and identified through existing community resources such as the United Way's Volunteer Action Center. We also learn of organizations and volunteer service projects through our grant proposal process and issue research. If you have suggestions for potential volunteer opportunities for the Giving Circle, please email us at info@seacoastwomengive.org.
How does the group select guest speakers?
The Giving Circle regularly hosts guest speakers who educate the group about our current topic of interest. To identify these presenters, members of the Giving Circle's LEARN Committee contact community and government leaders, and local non-profit organizations. This year, our giving cycle topic is "at-risk seniors." If you are interested in speaking to the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle on this topic, please email us at info@seacoastwomengive.org.
What types of issues does the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle support?
The Giving Circle selects a community issue to support each year based on the members' personal interests and on the recommendations of community leaders who are attuned to the specific needs of the Seacoast. Each spring, at the end of a giving cycle, the Active Members vote to select the next issue that our group will address.
In our first three giving cycles, the group addressed the environment, housing and homelessness, and the needs of at-risk youth. Our gifts were respectively awarded to The Conversation Law Foundation, Families First, New Heights, and More Than Wheels. For more information on these organizations, please view our Past Gift Recipients. The group selected "women's issues" to be the focus of our 4th giving cycle that will conclude in June 2010.
How can I support the organizations selected by the Giving Circle?
The Seacoast Women's Giving Circle is not a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Rather, it is a volunteer group that galvanizes financial and volunteer support for specific organizations and issues in the community. Donations from members and friends are made directly to the non-profit organization we select each year.
If you would like to support our work in the community, please donate funds or volunteer your services directly to our annual non-profit gift recipients: More Than Wheels, New Heights, Families First and Conservation Law Foundation. In addition, the Giving Circle has a Backer Member category that provides an opportunity for women to be more involved in our group's work. For more information, visit the About Us section.
