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CATALIST, The Network of Women’s Collective Giving Groups is now PHILANOS

March 10, 2020

February 25, 2020. Seattle, WA – At its 8th Conference, Catalist revealed that it is changing its name to Philanos, along with a new tagline. The spark and visual identity remain the same. The transition will be complete by April 1 on all platforms.

Philanos’ mission is to support the creation, development, and expansion of women’s collective giving grantmaking nationwide. For a decade, Philanos has led a network of women’s collective giving groups, sometimes referred to as giving circles, which help women aggregate their money to make high-impact grants in their local communities. Started in 2009 as WCGN (Women’s Collective Giving Grantmakers Network), the organization currently has 78 affiliates in the US, Australia and England, representing $140 million in giving by more than 17,500 women since 1995.

“We are proud of the impact our network of women’s groups has had so far in promoting collective giving as a powerful form of philanthropy,” said Paula Liang, Board Chair of Philanos. “Under our new name, Philanos, we will accelerate collective giving nationally and internationally to make an even bigger, positive difference in empowering women everywhere to increase the impact of their collective giving grantmaking. With an operational grant from the Raikes Foundation we will be scaling the number of collective giving groups worldwide and providing information, education and services that allow the organizations to be more efficient and sustainable.”

Open to all women’s collective-giving grantmaking organizations, the Philanos network connects and inspires a fast-growing movement of community-minded women’s groups who recognize the exponential power of aggregating their money to make high-impact grants. These groups also encourage women to become philanthropic leaders in their own communities.

Philanos does not make grants nor direct its affiliates’ grantmaking. Its focus is to empower its member affiliates to identify and make grants to nonprofit groups making transformative change in their communities.

Members of Philanos affiliates can access education, tools and forums designed to help them accelerate the power of collective giving. Philanos also shares success stories showcasing the impact affiliates are having in their communities in order to increase awareness of the power of high-impact grantmaking.

Contact:
media@philanos.org