The Philanthropy Connection, Inc

Our goals are to teach multi-generational women how to become informed, knowledgeable donors by learning the skills, such as reading non-profit financial statements, that a smart donor needs; to become aware of the prolific inequities that exist throughout Greater Boston; and to encourage members’ support of the non-profits we fund as donors, volunteers, providers of pro bono expertise, and Board members.

Additionally, we want our model of collective giving to be accessible to all local young women. Each year, we provide pro bono memberships for up to 10 Fellows who are interested in our model but not at a point in their careers where our membership donation is affordable. Fellows have specific responsibilities in helping TPC operate, like serving on a grant team and sitting on a Committee. Their dues are sponsored by other members.

Each year, roughly half of members participates in our grant process, and assess letter of intent applications, determine which applicants will be asked to submit full proposals after intensive financial vetting, and conduct site visits. Ultimately, these 16 to 17 teams recommend finalists for our all-member voting in which each woman, regardless of her financial contribution, gets one vote.

Subsequently, members volunteer to serve as Liaisons, with two women serving as the connection between the grantee and TPC. This involves ensuring that the funded project is on track, and working with the grantee one its “Wish List” of needs that could be fulfilled by our volunteer efforts or donated. Two recent examples are conducting “mock interviews” before grantees’ clients are interviewed by an HR representative, and sorting donated clothes and toiletries that are available to students in schools where the federal poverty is 50% and above.

We hold 4 to 6 Philanthropy Dialogues, educational events during which 2 grantees discuss their efforts to ameliorate a particular social issue. In 2019-2020, the overarching theme of the Dialogues is “Activism”, with grantees discussing efforts to level the playing field of access to healthcare, good paying jobs, healthy food, and educational opportunities.

TPC is a volunteer-run organization with the exception of a part-time administrator who works 20 hours per week. Our 16 member Board chairs and co-chairs Committees (Grants, Finance and Audit, Member Engagement, Young Philanthropist Initiative, Marketing and Communications, and Development), with many other members filling vital volunteer positions.

Our grants are funded by members’ annual membership contributions. Young Philanthropists (those 35 and younger) pay $575, of which $500 is for grants and $75 is for defraying operational and mission-related expenses; for women over 35, dues are $1,175, of which $1,000 is for grants and $175 is applied to operational and mission-related expenses. We have three corporate sponsors who underwrite the Young Philanthropy Initiative, our member recruitment events, and our Philanthropy Dialogues.

In six years of grant-making, we have awarded $1.3 million to 42 Greater Boston area non-profits. Our program of educating Young Philanthropists is the largest of any among the 1,500 collective giving groups in the U.S.; we are frequently advise other groups starting this program, and each year since our founding, we have been asked to speak at a national conference of giving groups about these Young Philanthropists.

Grantees – both current and alumni ones – frequently mention that they have never worked with a funder who provides such extraordinary hands-on volunteering and engagement. Several have commented that while our grants are wonderful, the bigger benefit is involvement of our members and their contributions of helpful contacts and their skills in development, PR, law, and marketing.