News & Observer Columnist Barry Saunders shines the light on giving circles – the name given to small groups of people who pool their money and donate to nonprofit organizations. It’s a great idea that showcases the impact of individuals on the community. From the Saunders column:
Each member contributes $360 a year.
Last spring, they gave a $500 grant to Hayes House, a homeless shelter in Raleigh, and $1,000 to People Helping People, a Wake County organization that helps poor people fix up their homes.
That’s not a whole lot of money, Best noted, but she added, “The great thing about it is that it leveraged so many other dollars.”
By putting People Helping People together with Hayes House, she said, they were able to facilitate one group helping the other. The electricians, carpenters, merchants and others associated with People Helping People, she said, contributed about $60,000 in goods and services to make over the crumbling shelter.
No government program is required to help a person in need.
