Women's Giving Circle of Missoula County
Give Together | Decide Together | Benefit Together

2025 Steering Committee: Dawn Payne, Chair; Melisse Hunter, Chair-Elect & Marketing; Veronica Kenney, Process; Katie Vaughan, Events; Hannah Zuraff, Membership; Diane Adami, Jamie McConnell, Molly Stockdale, Lindsay Story, Katjana Stutzer, Kathy Witkowsky
What is the Women's Giving Circle?
The Women’s Giving Circle of Missoula County empowers women and non-binary people to be leaders in philanthropy and inspires collaborative giving to create positive change in our community. Every member, whether they give $10 per month or $1,000, has the opportunity to learn about community needs, hear how nonprofit organizations address those needs, and make decisions on how to give collective funds for maximum community impact. Our voices, too often muted in traditional philanthropy, are amplified by working together, so we can invest collective dollars for change. The WGC of Missoula County is a program of the Missoula Community Foundation.
Mission: Inspiring collaborative giving to strengthen our community
Vision: A community where all gifts have value, all members have voices, and all Missoula County benefits.
Values: Community: We believe that a community, working together, can achieve great things. Equity: We promote equity through collaboration, consensus-building, and creating an environment where all are welcome. Opportunity: We create opportunity by supporting projects and organizations that empower people.
The Women’s Giving Circle of Missoula County pools its membership dollars and makes a substantial annual grant and two smaller unrestricted gifts to local nonprofit organizations. Since it’s inception in 2018, the WGC has granted $81,000 to the community. The membership votes in early Spring to determine the grant focus.
2025 grant focus: TBA
Grant Application Opens July 15th
Requirements
501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored
Primarily serve Missoula County
Not received WGC $ past two years
Grant Schedule
July 15: Application Opens
August 30: Application Closes
September 30: Finalists Announced
November 15: Grant Award Announced
Reach Out
Past Grant Recipients
The Women’s Giving Circle hosts three member gatherings each grant cycle, and some special events as well. At the Summer Social in June, the new grant focus is discussed and the previous year’s grant recipient makes a brief presentation. The circle learns more about their chosen grant focus during an Educational Panel Discussion, which is held in late summer. The Finalist Presentation is held in the fall. The three finalists discuss their work and impact in a brief presentation to the membership ahead of their final vote.
These events are open to prospective members and the public.
The WGC welcomes new members and aims to be inclusive and accessible to anyone interested in leveraging their gifts for the greater good.
An annual membership fee of $120, $60 for students, is encouraged. Some are able to give more, some less.
Memberships are renewed in February of each year. This allows all members to vote on the grant focus and participate in the full range of benefits during the grant cycle. But you may join at ANY time during the year. If you join before voting closes in November, you will be eligible to vote in the current grant cycle. If you join after voting closes in November, your membership dollars will be applied to the next year’s grant cycle.
Women's Giving Circle News
November 12, 2024
Women’s Giving Circle Grant Awarded to Montana Legal Services Association
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August 12, 2024
Women’s Giving Circle Hosts Panel Discussion on Homelessness & Housing
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December 15, 2023
Women’s Giving Circle of Missoula County Awards $10,000 to Blue Mountain Clinic
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