About Many Hands, Inc.

When a friend told me about Many Hands Giving Circle in 2006, I was immediately intrigued. I had supported local organizations over the years, but I had never been part of a larger group of philanthropists. I’m not even sure I thought of myself as a philanthropist.  And while I think of myself as an informed resident of the community, I certainly didn’t know as much as I do now about the region’s challenges – or which nonprofit organizations were addressing them most effectively.

Many Hands is unlike other giving circles in that it makes a single $100,000 philanthropic investment in one DC area nonprofit. (Most grantmaking organizations – especially giving circles – make much smaller grants to multiple groups.) The pooled money comes from 100-150 women who each donate $1,000.  If more than $100,000 is raised, smaller grants will be given to two runners up. 

The circle is open to anyone. New donors may learn more or sign up at www.manyhandsdc.org.  An introductory community meeting will be held this Tuesday, October 8, at 7:30 pm at Chevy Chase Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue, NW.  The formal process gets under way after the holidays.  Site visits help us to narrow down the list. All of the groups being considered serve women and families in the areas of health, education, housing and/or job readiness.

The experience is like having an internship in how to be a philanthropist. As part of the giving circle, I get greater access to organizations that I would not otherwise get to know so intimately. On top of that, I appreciate being part of a philanthropic organization that has no overhead and enjoy the collective power and impact of making one large grant. 

Past groups funded by Many Hands have told us that they have found the $100,000 investment transformative. For instance, A Wider Circle executive director Mark Bergel said, “Many Hands got us through 2010. With that grant, we said, ‘we’re going to make it.’ It was like dropping a boulder into the water; it had a giant ripple effect.”

Consider joining our circle. You can also like us on Facebook.