Some women think about doing something grand, while others actually do it. Marla Felcher, a 56 year old former Harvard University Professor, saw a need and figured out a way to answer it. She realized that many educated, successful, affluent women would be interested in giving to charities, but that they didn’t always know how to do so.
And so Felcher, along with Dharma E. Cortes (a public health researcher) and Suzanne Carter (a businesswoman and non-profit executive) founded Philanthropy Connection. They began by recruiting 100 women, each of whom would commit to giving $1000. Today, less than a year later, the charity has 130 women and has awarded $26,000 to five nonprofits that provide services for women, families, children and young adults.
As Marla Felcher said, “One of the biggest surprises has been that people really love giving. All you have to do is ask.”
One of the attractions of this organization is that donors can have a hands-on opportunity to help selection the recipient organizations. There is yearlong selection process to find the nonprofits with an annual operating budget of less than $4 million to whom to give funds. As one donor, Anna C. Vouros explained, “It’s not just give your money and go away. It’s give your money and then be a part of it.”
The Philanthropy Connection has a member list that includes doctors, professors, students, writers, lawyers and others. They are typically 50 or older and work full or part time.
Trying to attract younger women to be involved as well, the Philanthropy Connection created a Young Philanthropist Fellowship program for 18-30 year old women who want to be part of the organization but who can’t afford the $1000 donation to join. Twenty young women recently applied for the five fellowships they awarded.
The five nonprofits that were selected for grants this year were: the Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts in Dorchester, Crossroads for Kids in Duxbury, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, RESPOND, and Adoption and Foster Care Mentoring in Boston.