Giving societies and giving circles may sound quite exclusive, but that’s not the case. While the two operate differently, they offer great ways for your organization to segment your donors.
Here’s how they’re different:
Giving Societies
Giving societies are internal communities that let your organization group donors by behavior type at a specific giving level. Giving societies typically offer sponsorship levels for individual donors and offer some form of reward. For example, if you give at the Bronze Sponsor Level, you’ll be guaranteed a table at an annual event, VIP opportunities, and access to quarterly campaigns.
Giving societies can be set up based on annual and monthly recurring gifts, as well as a one-time donation of a certain amount. The parameters that you set for your organization’s giving society are entirely up to you!
Organizations usually have multiple giving societies within. For example, Duke offers multiple societies, membership options, and patron packages.
Crossnore School and Children’s Home frames their giving society as an “exclusive group of supporters” who contribute $1,000 or more each year. We took a closer look at Crossnore’s fundraising initiatives in 2020 and learned that it’s essential to work with what you’ve got and to keep moving forward.
Externally, giving societies are a way for donors to see themselves and their relationship to your organization. Internally, these societies are a great way to sort your donors. With this internal sorting comes the opportunity to build segmented communications to smaller groups of people. These segmented communications not only have a personal touch but also offer a place for your supporters who have made similar financial commitments to come together.
Giving Circles
Giving circles are more informal and open to a variety of giving levels (though most still have a minimum), and are used as an engagement tool to get people to enroll in recurring giving. Some giving circles are managed by an organization, and others are run almost like a book club! A group of friends and neighbors come together, pool their money, and decide which charity they’d like to give to. It’s a great way to give your money and lend your voice to a cause in your own community.
Giving circles offer donors the option of who and how they want to connect with your organization. In a more formal setting, supporters can join a giving circle for networking purposes or to connect with others who have a common interest. Larger cities might offer donors the opportunity to join a giving circle connected to their neighborhood or to one related to their profession.
For example, UJA Federation of New York offers supporters the opportunity to join a giving circle based on their borough, profession, interest, or identity.
A study from Collective Giving shows that the majority of people in giving circles are women under the age of 40. It also shows that people who belong to multiple giving circles give more than the typical donor.
Let’s talk about ways you can empower your organization’s giving circles and societies.
