Morgan County Giving Circle

WHO WE ARE

The Morgan County Giving Circle

About Us

The Morgan County Giving Circle, a Fund of Women’s Foundation of Alabama (MCGC), unites our passion and resources to change the lives of women and children in North Alabama.

Our group works in recognition of the need to provide opportunities for like-minded women and to form connections that enhance civic leadership activities.

Membership consists of women of all ages and backgrounds who come together, pool their resources, and make funding decisions together to enrich the earning capacity for women and promote quality childcare for families.

History

In 2021, Morgan County Giving Circle representative Terri Collins and a group of like-minded women reached out to Women’s Foundation of Alabama to explore ways to give back to their community, specifically to women and children. The giving circle was established in 2022 to unite the group’s passion and resources to change the lives of women and children in North Alabama. Since 2023, the Morgan County Giving Circle has awarded $15,000 in grants.

How We Give

Rather than making “one-off” individual gifts to community organizations, Morgan County Giving Circle empowers its members to combine their resources and award large, high-impact and strategically selected grants to organizations and initiatives benefiting women and children in North Alabama.

Your Support

The Morgan County Giving Circle graciously accepts donations to support the annual distribution of a grant to change the lives of women and children in North Alabama.

Grants

The Morgan County Giving Circle’s philosophy is to annually vote on projects to enrich the earning capacity of women and promote quality childcare for families.  We target financial solutions to maximize benefits in North Alabama. In 2023, Morgan County Giving Circle made their first grant to Aum Foundation’s Pathway 2 Success (P2S) Program for under-resourced female high school students in their senior year. The purpose of the program is to allow the student to gain experience and insight into their career path, while also building life skills to aid them in breaking generational poverty and prepare them for the workforce.

Grant Timeline

  • Online Application Available: August
  • Application Deadline: September
  • Notification of site visit or elimination from consideration: October
  • Final Notification of grant status:  November

Members

The Morgan County Giving Circle was created out of a desire to harness the collective giving power, influence, and joy of women philanthropists. The group currently has 15 members and is actively recruiting more. Membership consists of women of all ages and backgrounds who convene, pool their resources and make funding decisions together.

  • Addison McNutt
  • Carol Beth Durbin
  • Debi Swaney
  • Donna Whitten
  • Julia Smeds Roth
  • Kelli Powers
  • Mary Ila Ward
  • Melanie Little
  • Michelle Howell
  • Pamela Bolding
  • Ryan Cate Gibson
  • Sundra Keck
  • Terri Collins
  • Trudy Grisham
  • Crystal Brown

Membership Levels

$1,000 is a Voting Member

  • Able to vote on Grantee Partner
  • Can Nominate Grantee Partner
  • Can chair a committee or be a committee member
  • Can attend all events

$500 is a General Member

  • Can be a committee member
  • Can attend all events
  • Can nominate Grantee Partner

$120 a year as a “Friend of the Circle”

  • Can attend all events
  • Can nominate Grantee Partner

$50 is a Circle Supporter