Researched and written by Jessica E. Bearman for the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers

"No matter how a giving circle and a host organization start out, the partnership will be more successful in the long run when both sides understand the rewards and challenges of giving together. 

Hosting a giving circle may be a simple affair in which the host organization provides a minimal level of service and receives, in return, a small fee and other less tangible benefits. Or hosting can be an intense partnership in which the giving circle (often created or co-created by the host organization) is an integral part of its host, with which it has a complex, multi-layered relationship. When structured thoughtfully, the host/giving circle relationship can be a healthy symbiosis that meets the needs and goals of both parties."