Giving is supposed to help you fulfill your dreams. The money you give to others should help realize your goals for creating a better world.

For years, one of the main things we emphasize in our work with donors is helping them find a cause that fits their passions. But in recent years we've been seeing a new breed of donors--particularly those in their 30s and 40s--who are finding creative new ways to realize their passions.

Older generations of givers were largely content to write a check and leave the details up to the professionals who run the big international charities and supposedly know best where the money is needed.

Not today's new donors. For many of them, the check ISN'T in the mail. Rather, they are putting their money to work locally and using it to do things that give proven, demonstrable results.

There's a donor in his early 30s we'll call Kevin. A businessman who lives in the south, Kevin--along with his circle of close-knit friends--could serve as the poster boy for the emerging trends that are currently transforming the world of philanthropic giving and that promise to revolutionize the way people will share their resources throughout the rest
of this century.

Like most Gen-Xers, Kevin places a premium on friendships and community, and the core values play an important role in how he gives.

About five years ago, he and nearly a dozen of the folks he went to high school with in Tennessee formed a GIVING CIRCLE, which is a small, informal and flexible means for group members to share their lives with each other and their wealth with people who need it.

"I feel like I've been given about 12 friendships I need to be focused on in my life," says Kevin. "I feel a responsibility to grow old with these people.

"We were all trying to figure out ways to stimulate and stir the relationships on a day-to-day basis, and we thought it would be a great idea to put some of our money together into a common pool and set some criteria for the way we would give it. We thought this would be a good way to be a part of something together, and to have some accountability for our giving."

The 12 couples involved in the giving circle are made up of workers in a wide range of occupations: three are businessmen, but the group also includes a doctor, a veterinarian, a school teacher, a college professor, an artist, a film maker, and two pastors.

The circle members don't all have the same income levels, but that doesn't matter. Everyone is required to chip in at least one percent of their annual income, and most contribute much more.

Disbursements from the fund are handled in a relaxed and low-key manner. If three of the couples agree that a project should be funded, the circle gives whatever is needed, up to $1,000. For grants of more than $1,000, five couples must support the grant.

"The focus of giving areas is wide open as long our people believe in it," says Kevin.

The people in Kevin's group have found a way to give that is perfectly tailored to their values, beliefs, and passions. Have you taken the opportunity to understand your giving goals and values yet? With a little effort you too can have the same experience that Kevin and his friends have personally attained - increased satisfaction, participation, and the overall feeling of excitement in their giving.

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