In 2007, five Rochester, NY women – Paula Carter, Alyce Van Patten, Amy Irish, Shirley King, and Ellen Bevan – envisioned the power of women supporting women through hands-on philanthropy and started the Rochester Women’s Giving Circle (RWGC). Within several months there were 29 members, and in 2008 they granted $33,500 to six organizations. Over the past thirteen years, the RWGC has made 120 grants to organizations in Monroe County, NY serving women and girls.
2015 grantees: Hillside Work Scholarship Connection participants — Photo by Heartworks Photography
In 2015 the Giving Circle’s membership approved a high impact grant of $100,000 over two years to Hillside Work Scholarship Connection. It provided support and mentoring to 40 young women, 20 each year, as they transitioned from high school to post secondary education.
Following that, the Giving Circle made a $100,000 grant to Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach to support a three-year pilot expansion of Spiritus Christi’s vocational services for formerly incarcerated women. Spiritus Christi will hire a vocational program coordinator, who will build relationships with local vocational and apprenticeship programs and provide intensive career coaching and post-placement support to program participants. The grant was made possible by a generous donation from Professor Carl Hagen in memory of his wife, Suzanne, who was an active member of the Circle and an advocate for those affected by poverty and discrimination.
In its sixteen year history, the RWGC has granted over $2 million to Monroe County based programs. Thousands of low-income women and girls have been directly impacted through training, education, or direct services provided by these programs. Current membership is about 170 women. To see a listing of all grants, click here.
RWGC was the first formally established giving circle in the community and is an Initiative Fund with Rochester Area Community Foundation. We are also a member of Philanos, a network of more than 75 women’s collective giving organizations that are making an impact in their communities by combining their financial and intellectual resources.
