(This is wonderful, but private charity is never enough. We must have government programs, as well.)
For director Anne Pfeiffer, who's planning to move the small nonprofit into a 2,400-square-foot house, asking for money has become second nature. But a few months ago, Pat's Place received one of its largest and least expected gifts: a $100,000 windfall, not from a corporate donor, but from a tightly knit group of no-name philanthropists from
In a modern spin on centuries-old "sewing circles," the 157 members of the Women's Impact Fund "giving circle" voted to spend their money protecting children from abuse.
Poor or rich, 20-somethings or retirees, more and more women are forming charitable investment clubs to research, socialize, and give - and in the process, they're revitalizing personal philanthropy, seizing on causes from battered children to relief for tsunami victims.
"For women, especially, this is an opportunity to really have an impact on their communities, to frame a vision, and also gain a hands-on way to do it," says Mary Lou Babb, cofounder of the Women's Impact Fund. "And, of course, there's a whole social aspect to it."…
