What Happens When a Giving Circle Gives Something They Can See Arrive

Philanthropy Together's giving circles are pooling resources and making collective impact. Here's why in-kind giving with photo proof is the most powerful giving circle experience available.

A giving circle is not just a group of people who pool money. It is a community of people who decide together — who to give to, what to give, and what impact they want to make. That decision-making process is what makes giving circles one of the fastest-growing and most engaging forms of philanthropy in the United States, having tripled in size over the past decade. Philanthropy Together, the global catalyst of collective and collaborative giving, supports thousands of giving circles worldwide with tools, training, and connections that help them give more effectively. Givelink, a Transparent Giving Platform that connects donors to verified U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits with photo proof of delivery, has partnered with Philanthropy Together because giving circles and in-kind giving are a near-perfect match: collective decision-making applied to specific, visible goods, confirmed by a photo that the whole circle can share. Here is what that experience looks like.

Key Takeaways

• Giving circles have tripled in size over the past decade — one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy in the U.S.
• Philanthropy Together supports thousands of giving circles worldwide through tools, training, and a global network.
• Collective in-kind giving produces a shared impact moment — one photo that the whole circle receives and can share.
• Giving circles using Givelink can browse verified nonprofits, pool contributions toward specific items, and receive a single delivery confirmation photo.
• Givelink donors give 60% more times per year than traditional platform donors (Givelink data, 2026).

What makes giving circles naturally suited to in-kind giving

Giving circles thrive on shared decision-making and shared impact. The moment when a group decides together — "we're going to fund school supplies for 50 children in East Oakland" — is a moment of collective identity formation. The members of the circle are not just donors. They are co-investors in a specific outcome.

Cash giving produces a receipt. Everyone in the circle knows something happened, but no one can hold it.

In-kind giving with photo confirmation produces something different: a photo that every member of the circle can look at and say "we did that." The backpacks they chose, on a shelf at the school, ready for the first day. That photo circulates in the group's chat. It gets shared at the next meeting. It becomes part of the circle's shared story.

"Giving was always supposed to be a thread between two lives."

For a giving circle, that thread multiplies: it connects every member of the circle to every person who receives the goods the circle chose. The photo makes the thread visible to everyone simultaneously.

How giving circles use Givelink in practice

A giving circle using Givelink typically follows a 5-step process:

Step 1: Browse together. During a circle meeting or shared session, members browse Givelink's 199+ verified nonprofits. Cause categories, location, and Charity Navigator scores help narrow the choice. The decision is made collectively — this is the circle's defining moment.

Step 2: Choose specific items. The circle selects specific goods from the nonprofit's live wishlist. "30 hygiene kits" or "50 backpacks with school supplies" — not a dollar amount into a general fund, but a specific thing the circle is giving. Each member can contribute toward the total at the level they choose.

Step 3: Give. Givelink accepts contributions from multiple donors toward the same nonprofit wishlist. The circle's collective gift is coordinated through a single wishlist interaction.

Step 4: Wait for the photo. Within two weeks of the gift, the nonprofit's staff photographs the received goods and uploads confirmation. Every member of the circle who contributed receives the photo. It arrives as evidence, not as a newsletter.

Step 5: Share the moment. The photo gets shared in the circle's communication channel. New members see it. Prospective members see it. The circle's story gets richer.

The data on collective giving momentum

Philanthropy Together's research consistently shows that giving circles outperform individual donors on two dimensions: giving frequency and giving growth over time. Members of active giving circles give more, in more places, for longer than comparable individual donors.

In-kind giving accelerates both dynamics. Givelink donors already give 60% more times per year than traditional platform donors (Givelink data, 2026). Apply the giving circle multiplier — collective decision-making, shared accountability, social proof within the group — and the frequency effect compounds.

A circle that gives together monthly, from a verified nonprofit wishlist, with a delivery photo shared in the group each time, is one of the most powerful giving communities it is possible to build.

The Philanthropy Together × Givelink partnership

Philanthropy Together and Givelink are partnering to bring in-kind giving to the giving circle community — specifically, to the thousands of circles in Philanthropy Together's network that are looking for giving experiences that match the collective, visible, evidence-based values of the movement.

The partnership includes cross-promotion through Philanthropy Together's community channels, shared educational content about effective in-kind giving for circle leaders, and dedicated support for giving circles that want to onboard their entire group to Givelink.

For giving circle leaders

If your circle is ready for a giving experience your whole group can see arrive: browse verified nonprofits on Givelink and choose your first collective wishlist gift together.

If your nonprofit participates in a giving circle network and isn't yet on Givelink: set up your free profile in 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a giving circle?

A giving circle is a group of people who pool their financial resources to make larger, collective donations to causes they care about. Members typically meet regularly to decide together where to give. Giving circles have tripled in size over the past decade and represent one of the fastest-growing forms of philanthropy in the U.S.

How can a giving circle use Givelink?

Circle members browse Givelink's verified nonprofit directory together, choose specific items from a nonprofit's wishlist, and contribute toward the collective gift at individual levels. The delivery photo arrives for every contributor — giving the whole circle a shared impact moment.

What is Philanthropy Together?

Philanthropy Together is the global catalyst of collective and collaborative giving, supporting thousands of giving circles worldwide with tools, training, and resources to give more effectively and inclusively.

Is Givelink free for giving circles?

Yes. Givelink is free for donors — there are no platform fees for individual or collective giving. Nonprofits also pay nothing. The optional 10% tip (fully removable) is the only revenue Givelink generates from donor transactions.

Give your circle something you'll all see arrive

Browse verified nonprofits on Givelink and choose your circle's first wishlist gift together.

Stay Human.

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Antonis Politis is CEO and Co-Founder of Givelink. He believes that collective giving and transparent giving are natural partners — and that the photo is what makes both real.