What does it mean to be a Founding Member or Leader of a Grapevine group?

Grapevine Giving Circles would not be complete without Members, Founding Members, and Leaders. Have you considered taking on a leadership role in your giving circle but you’re not sure what that entails? Are you wondering what a Founding Member does? Use this guide to understand the differences between these roles!

What is a Giving Circle Leader?

A Giving Circle Leader is a member who helps to guide and grow their group. Leaders are instrumental in helping to engage and grow their groups’ membership, organize community events and facilitate the processes that move the funds raised by the group back into the community. They do this through facilitating the nonprofit nomination and voting processes as well as organizing their giving circles quarterly granting events and more.

What is required to become a Giving Circle Leader?

Members can express their interest in joining the leadership team of their group by filling out this simple form, or by checking the interest box when they request to join their group. Leaders then participate in asynchronous trainings and get access to leadership modules to help them lead with clarity, confidence, and excitement for the impact they are having. It's important to us that the group leadership team is diverse across a range of professional and demographic areas, so that multiple perspectives are represented. Given this, we hand select Leaders that have completed the required trainings to put together the most diverse and effective leadership teams possible for each group. We then fully support these Leaders with leadership materials and workshops, individual support from our community team, and a network of other Leader peers to learn from and grow alongside. We estimate being a leader requires about 5-6 hours per quarter (people typically commit to being a leader for one year at a time - but are welcome to continue longer!).

These are the main roles and responsibilities of Leaders:

• Member Communications Lead
• Managing Nonprofit Nominations, Voting & Selection Lead
• Event Logistics and Locations Lead
• Meeting MC/Facilitator Lead
• Member Engagement Lead
• Member Growth Lead

Why become a Giving Circle Leader?

As a Leader, you have the opportunity to steer and guide your giving circle in its infancy. Like other members, you will still be able to: nominate nonprofits for your groups’ donations, vote quarterly on which nonprofit will be chosen as the donation recipient, join our member-exclusive networking events, and access the connections and member-to-member messaging features on your giving circle page. Becoming a Leader is a rewarding way to gain nonprofit leadership experience and positive exposure in your community, without the time, financial responsibility, and cost of joining a nonprofit board.

What is a Giving Circle Founding Member?

A Founding Member is a donating member that joined a new giving circle in its first year of operation.

What is required to become a Giving Circle Founding Member?

The one requirement of Founding Members is to become a donating member of a giving circle in its first year of operation. We encourage Founding Members to be as active as possible in their groups within that first year especially, to help shape the group and its impact focus, to help grow and engage the group by inviting new members and getting to know other members by attending and facilitating events, and ultimately to help establish and solidify the group within its community in that first year. There is no formal time commitment beyond what is anticipated from a standard member: approximately 5-6 hours per year. However, Founding Members have a unique opportunity to lean in and provide more guidance and support for the group if their time and interest allow.

Why become a Giving Circle Founding Member?

Founding Members have the unique opportunity to help build and create the giving circle, as well as help define the groups’ goals and mission. Like other members, Founding Members will be able to: nominate nonprofits for the groups’ donations, vote quarterly on which nonprofit will be chosen as the donation recipient, join member-exclusive networking events, and access the connections & member-to-member messaging features on the giving circle page. Additionally, Founding Members receive an official certificate recognizing them as a Founding Member, access to the member-to-member connection & messaging features on Grapevine, and invitations to Founding Member-exclusive networking events.

What is a Giving Circle Member?

Giving Circle Members are donors that join a giving circle after its first year of operation, or are Members who have not yet donated to the group’s pool.

What is required to become a Giving Circle Member?

The intention is for all Grapevine Giving Circle Members to donate, but we recognize some newer members might want to get to know the group a bit more first and learn how the giving circle model works. For this reason, a donation is not required to be a Member, but a donation is required if you would like to help decide where the pooled funds go by nominating and voting on nonprofits. Non-donating Members can access some of the features on the giving circle group page, but many connections, messaging, and other features are only available to donating Members.

Why become a Giving Circle Member?

As a donating Member, you will have the opportunity to nominate nonprofits for your groups’ donations as well as vote quarterly on which nonprofit will be chosen as the donation recipient. You’ll be able to connect with, direct message, and network with like-minded people in your group. You’ll also be able to amplify your impact by pooling your donations with those of others to make a bigger impact for a nonprofit you care about. Imagine combining your $100 donation with 100 other people – now your nonprofit can receive a $10,000 gift! Members can also join our Member-exclusive networking events and socialize with members of their own giving circle and hundreds of others across the country.

Ready to join a giving circle or start one of your own? Click below to join or start your giving circle on Grapevine today!