Community Investment Network Focuses on the Importance of Giving Back (continued)

Coming Full Circle

Although a relatively new concept, Lester believes citizens in the communities where these giving circles exist are being strengthened; circle leaders and members are also being transformed.

“Those who are joining are beginning to learn more. They are opening up more. They are beginning to value their own gifts and talents,” Lester said. “The first indirect product of this is that these members are going back to their families and having conversations with them.

“One of our newest giving circles, A Legacy of Tradition (A LOT), is all male. In working with them, I’ve come to realize that brothers sometimes don’t feel like they have a conversational outlet. We get together and talk about what it means to be a better father, a better husband, and a better man in the context of giving back. I recognize that some of these brothers might be coming to the table because they are thinking about giving back, but they are also coming because they need support. We need to support each other.”

In a nutshell, CIN is trying to help people understand that besides the church, there are other organizations out there working to make our communities and schools better places. It sees itself as a tool that can show people see how they too can make a difference.

“I have high hopes for the work that CIN is accomplishing, and for the growth of giving circles,” Lester said. “I hope that they [circles] will continue to spiral across the United States so that in five or six more years, the number of circles will have doubled. Maybe one day we’ll be sitting here talking about 15, 16, 17 or 18 giving circles where people can come and share.”

Events Sponsored by CIN

CIN sponsors a national philanthropy conference annually that focuses on community based giving. This year’s conference, “Civic Responsibility: Re-connecting People to Their Communities,” will be held October 5-7 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham, NC.

The Network also sponsors a Leadership Summit. This weekend retreat fosters strategic conversations between giving circle leaders that address common areas of difficulty. It is a time where they can recharge, rebuild and refocus.

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Linda Powell-Jones is a freelance writer, photographer and proofreader in Raleigh, NC.