Hi John, Every August, we head to Martha’s Vineyard with a specific goal in mind: fostering community. This year, our Ms. on Martha’s gathering brought together an incredibly diverse room—across generations, race, and geography—from grantee partners and fellow funders to board members and longtime supporters. Thank you to everyone who joined us on-island! I had the honor and privilege to be in conversation with Hali Lee, founder of the Asian Women’s Giving Circle and the Donors of Color Network, and recent author of The Big We. Hali shared the powerful legacy of giving circles: community-driven models of philanthropy where individuals pool their resources to support causes that matter most to them. This practice, which has existed across cultures throughout history, shows us that this type of collective action can create real change. Hali spoke about how participating in philanthropy with others has been proven to decrease loneliness, build community, and increase civic participation—all of which are essential right now. Our conversation served as a timely and important call to action: if we want a democracy that truly works for all of us, it requires our ongoing participation—not just in moments of urgency, but in everyday acts of commitment. That participation can take many shapes, whether that be voting, or joining a protest, or by collective acts of giving either through giving circles or public foundations like ours. At Ms. Foundation, we are participating by moving money and resources to grassroots leaders and organizations across the country. When you support Ms. Foundation, you help fuel this vital work and strengthen movements for generations to come. If you’d like to make a gift, or didn’t get the chance to at the event, you can do so here. Thank you for being part of the Ms. Foundation community. We're grateful to be on this journey with you, and we look forward to continuing the work, together. In solidarity,  P.S. Event photos will be available on our Facebook in the coming days, so keep an eye out! |
