by Carol Palladini, Founding Chair

As I lay on my floor this morning with weights in hand (why is keeping in shape so hard?), half-listening to NPR, I had to stop suddenly when I heard the commentator talking about women’s giving circles!

She was reporting on the amazing growth of this phenomenon across the country. She noted both large and small types of giving groups and the listener was able to listen in on a couple of them trying to decide on how to divide their funds. When mentioning one of the larger groups, it was said that it gave away as much as $400,000 last year. I immediately retorted to the radio, “That’s nothing; we just gave away $600,000!”

As I returned to my weights, I was thinking how amazing our Santa Barbara “giving circle” has been from the beginning. There are so many ways that it has been unique in it’s unfolding. One of the most wonderful has been the way we have grown. We thought at the outset that we would have regular coffees, seek publicity, and speak to groups as ways to acquire members. In fact, almost none of that has been necessary! Most of our growth has been by word of mouth: one woman excited about the Fund telling another.

Another very unique aspect of the Women’s Fund is our dedication to being unique! Our watchword is SIMPLICITY, which allows us to function so well with a minimum of volunteer work and regimentation. With no board, no by-laws, no actual fund raising, no volunteer commitment longer than a year at a time, we are able to be free flowing with ideas and changes. Our ballot has never been the same two years in a row, for example. Whenever we discuss making a rule about something, we always ask ourselves, is this necessary for the good of the Fund? If not, we don’t!

And here’s the best part – each year our talented volunteers make the Fund extremely efficient and creatively run within the loose-knit structure. The vote of confidence given us by the Orfalea Fund is proof of that! To be able to direct our collected funds for different areas of need each year, and to then be able to give almost all of the money away, is perhaps the most unique thing of all.

Judging from the growth of our members, groups, volunteers, and numbers of significant grants, our Fund—and giving circles all across the country—has truly struck a chord. And, unlike lifting weights, it’s really fun!