Funding
Circles

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HOW DO FUNDING CIRCLES BUILD A THRIVING PHILANTHROPIC ECOSYSTEM?

We’re aiming for a world where impactful giving is easy and efficient. Donors should be able to find compelling donation opportunities in the causes they care about, collaborate with like-minded funders, and support high-impact organizations with minimal friction.

We design our funding circles with that vision in mind. A funding circle, at its most basic, is a collaboration between funders focused on a certain cause. For example, the Mental Health Funding Circle focuses on finding and funding the most impactful mental health interventions globally. These circles foster collaboration and increase impact through:

Monthly knowledge exchanges: sharing best practices, research findings, and grantmaking strategies to increase average impactfulness of members and build community

Deep learning: consulting with experts on the topic in which funding circle members have a specific interest and comparative advantage

Collaborative grantmaking rounds: working together to identify and vet promising organizations, while maintaining each member's decision-making autonomy.

Streamlined applications: reducing administrative burdens for both funders and grant-seekers via a a centralized application process.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO JOIN A FUNDING CIRCLE?

While it’s up to each circle to set their respective membership requirements, there are some common denominators:

Passion for the circle's specific cause area
Willingness to invest a minimum of two hours per month in meetings or due diligence
Readiness to give the minimum donation amount of the circle, typically ranging from $10,000 to $100,000

WHY FUNDING CIRCLES CAN HAVE IMPACT

Funding circles can be a powerful way to leverage and coordinate multiple funders that share a common interest. Diverse perspectives and communication are vitally important for a well-functioning philanthropic ecosystem. However, many funders are isolated in both their research and their decision-making processes, and their grantmaking suffers as a result. Funding circles provide an immediate community for the ambitious funder who wants to amplify their impact.

A certain cause may have several large funders, but between closed application rounds, unclear standards, and disjointed networks, it will be nearly impossible for a good organization to get funding without a huge headache. Funding circles seek to improve this subpar situation by creating a centralized point of contact for organizations seeking funding. This means that grantees can gain exposure to several funders through just one application. Additionally, if an application falls outside of a certain funder’s scope, they can easily pass the project on to a grantmaker who is a better fit.