Webinar Replay

🌍 Overview: Financial Advisors Empowering Collective Charitable Giving

This session introduced the model of giving circles—a collaborative, democratic, and scalable way to increase charitable impact by pooling donations from individuals. The spotlight was on how financial advisors can use giving circles to deepen relationships with clients, support local and national causes, and create community-driven philanthropic experiences.

🤝 What Are Giving Circles?

Definition & Mechanics

• Giving circles allow individuals to pool their financial contributions and collectively decide which nonprofits to support.

• A typical model: 100 people contribute $100 quarterly, yielding a $10,000 grant to one chosen nonprofit every three months.

• Nomination, voting, and grant-making follow a transparent, group-driven process, often facilitated via the Grapevine platform.

📚 Fact-check: According to the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, giving circles are indeed one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy in the U.S. (Source).

🧰 Platform Spotlight: Grapevine

About Grapevine

• Grapevine is the only platform solely dedicated to giving circles.

• It acts as a 501(c)(3) public charity and DAF sponsor (Donor Advised Fund), allowing participants to receive tax deductions for contributions.

• As of the webinar:

  • 1,000+ giving circles

  • 9,000+ members

  • $48 million+ granted to over 7,000 nonprofits

📚 Fact-check: Grapevine Giving Foundation is listed as a public charity on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (IRS database).

💼 Why It Matters for Financial Advisors

Key Benefits

• Stronger Client Engagement: Organize meaningful, non-transactional events (vs. golf outings).

• Philanthropic Education: Help clients navigate DAFs, impact strategies, and nonprofit discovery.

• Compliance-Friendly: Advisors avoid liability by routing funds through Grapevine (a public charity), which handles all distributions.

Case Study: Gather and Give (Maine)

• Started by Michael, a financial advisor, in response to client demand for impactful giving after setting up DAFs.

• Supports local nonprofits and fosters discovery of lesser-known, high-impact causes.

• Uses Grapevine for infrastructure, voting tools, and tax-deductible giving.

💡 Financial Advisors for Good: New Giving Circle Initiative

How It Works

• Open to all advisors and charitably inclined professionals.

• $100 per quarter ($400/year) contribution.

• Members nominate nonprofits → group votes → winner receives pooled funds.

• Operates virtually (via Financial Advisors for Good on Grapevine).

• Open to national and local causes, emergency support (e.g., flood relief), and re-nominations.

Added Value

• Use participation as a launchpad to start your own circle with clients/referral partners.

• Build community, visibility, and trust through shared values and collaborative giving.

• Option to donate from other DAFs to Grapevine (QCDs from IRAs are likely not allowed, due to IRS rules on intermediary distributions).

📚 Fact-check:

• QCD Limitations: IRS rules prohibit QCDs to DAFs and private foundations. Grapevine, despite being a 501(c)(3), operates like a DAF, so QCDs are not permitted (IRS Publication 590-B).

💬 Process Summary

🔍 Use Cases & Examples

• Tom Dickson’s interests: Foster care (e.g. Dave Thomas Foundation), food banks, homeless children, education scholarships.

• Michael’s Gather and Give: Promotes local Maine nonprofits; facilitates follow-on giving beyond the initial grant.

📚 Fact-check: There are currently over 330,000 children in foster care in the U.S., and they face significantly increased risks of homelessness and incarceration (Children’s Bureau).

✅ Call to Action

“Worst case, you give $100 to a worthy cause and decide it’s not for you.” — Michael

Join Financial Advisors for Good on Grapevine, experience the giving circle model firsthand, and consider launching your own to deepen client relationships and community impact.