More Giving Together: An Updated Study of the Continuing Growth and Powerful Impact of Giving Circles and Shared Giving

The results of the Forum’s first exploratory study of giving circles, completed in 2004 and released in early 2005, surprised and thrilled many in the philanthropic community. The research found more giving circles in far more places than expected; more than 200 circles were identified and detailed information was reported from 77 of them. The findings also indicated that giving circles have a profound impact—both in terms of the money they give and the ways in which their donors are moved and changed by their experiences. 

Now the Forum’s second study, conducted in 2006, has identified more than 400 circles and collected detailed information from 160 of them. The new findings affirm the first study’s exciting observation: Giving circles are an enduring and expanding philanthropic trend. In short, we thought our studies would examine a small phenomenon. We found instead that they have documented a substantial and growing philanthropic movement.