A giving circle is a form of participatory philanthropy by a group of individuals who form a voluntary association to donate their money or time. The group then decides how to allocate these resources to charitable organizations or community projects. Groups may also seek to increase their awareness of and engagement with the issues covered by the charity or community project. Structure and function A giving circle can be defined as a voluntary association with an "express philanthropic purpose" and a structure that is usually "informal and independent." According to Angela M. Eikenberry, "Although giving circles come in a range of sizes and foci, these groups' key and defining attributes are that they involve individuals who together decide on support for organizations (and sometimes individuals) through giving money (and sometimes time)." A giving circle is similar to crowdfunding but can be distinguished by how the group collectively decides on where to donate its resources. The combined donation of the group can have a larger philanthropic impact on the recipient than smaller individual donations. Giving circles can function as informal groups or be more formally administered by a community foundation or hosted by a nonprofit organization. Giving circles may also be connected by giving circle networks, which offer support and resources. According to Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, writing for the Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2012, giving circles can be categorized as grassroots giving circles, sponsored giving circles, or institutional giving circles based on a variety of characteristics, including their resources, group size, objectives, and structure. Giving circles may also be identity-based, and a 2016 survey of giving circles in the United States by the Collective Giving Research Group found about 60 percent of circles defined with reference to race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual identity. History and development Giving circles emerged as an innovation in philanthropy in the early 1990s and the number of groups have increased since the early 2000s. According to the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the number of giving circles in the United States doubled between 2004 and 2006 to approximately 400. In the United States, preliminary data about giving circles in 2005, 2006, and 2007 indicated membership tended to be female. By 2009, giving circles had been identified in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Australia, and Great Britain. By 2016, the Women's Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University developed a database of about 1600 giving