Mary Frey, Melissa Johnson, and Lynn Giovannelli - 3 founding members of GIVING WoMN along with the current VP of the Board Susan Dowd sit down with host Craig Pratt to share the humble beginnings of GIVING WoMN.

 

GIVING WoMN is the largest and most established women’s collective giving organization in the Twin Cities, and helped found the national women’s collective giving organization. Started by a few women discussing the concept in early 2004, the organization was established in early 2005, made its first grants in 2006 and has continued to grow. We currently have over 100 members.

 

Over the last 14 years, 81 GIVING WoMN grants have been made to 65 organizations who have a collective impact on thousands of individuals in need in the Twin Cities. Our organization was founded as Women of Courage in February of 2005. A small group of women started discussions in early 2004, envisioning the potential power of in philanthropy and pooled giving, and how it could make a difference in the greater metropolitan area of Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota. That small group of women has grown to over 100 members. In April of 2009, membership voted to change the organization’s name to GIVING WoMN. Collectively, to date, we have donated over $1,369,000 and have touched the lives of countless people in our community served by Twin Cities non-profits providing vital social services.

 

If you want to learn more, get engaged or donate you can reach the group at http://www.givingwomn.org/