The Giving Circle

Analysis

The Giving Circle is a registered charity in United States, based in Boston, MA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in April 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, The Giving Circle reported income of $1.5m and spending of $1.4m, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income grew from $1.1m to $1.5m (+31%), an average of +7.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 132%. Over the whole period it spent 84% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Giving Circle sits at the 85th percentile: it is larger than about 85% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 83rd percentile, and in the 82nd percentile within MA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Singer Foundation ($1.5m), New Hope Charities Inc ($1.5m) and United Way of Cascade County ($1.5m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 143% of the total. At year end it held assets of $1.8m against liabilities of $29k, net assets of $1.8m.