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Save the date!

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 21:04:09 GMT

Plan now to attend and bring a friend!

The Gather for Giving Evening is our most important event for GCP's annual fundraising campaign. It's a chance for GCP members to mix and mingle as well as introduce friends to the joys of collective giving. We'll also have a program with updates about the annual campaign and past grantees. The event will take place at Independence Live, 1919 Market Street, Philadelphia. More details soon. For now, be sure to save the date, December 1 !

The Power of Collective Giving

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:43:13 GMT

The power of collective giving

From February 2026
by Phyllis Bookspan, GCP co-chair

Dear Giving Circle donors:

On a snowy day in Philadelphia registering some of the lowest temperatures we have seen in over 20 years, I am writing to share how warm my heart feels for all of you—YOU --the special donors who participate in collective giving, who trust our Women’s Connection Philadelphia Giving Circle with your money, and who join us in identifying and selecting the nonprofit grant recipients that we select each year.

Our request for grant applications is live on the Philadelphia Foundation website. It says that we are seeking:

applications from nonprofits with a significant commitment to improving access to affordable, healthy food for women and their families in Philadelphia. Eligible applicants will include those offering a range of services, such as food banks, community gardens, meal programs, excess food collection and distribution and nutrition education.

A few weeks ago, we held an information session for prospective grant applicants. Fifty (50) nonprofits joined that call. The prior year we had 27 nonprofits join our information call. On January 29, we had our first education program on food insecurity and over 140 registered for this program and heard passionate comments from our panel and moderator. (see below in this newsletter for a fuller discussion of this program)

This is an historic year for the Giving Circle. Thanks to you we raised over $120,000. Given that our base donation amount is $200, this is not an insignificant sum. Other giving circles require $500, $1000 or more as their entry point. In 2012, our first year, the Giving Circle asked for a $200 minimum donation. In 2026, the amount to be a voting donor in our circle is the same because we believe that collective giving should be accessible for all -- not just for wealthy women.

This year I am proud to announce that we have 227 donors, including 67 first time donors, and because you understood the critical need of hunger facing our community, our average donation was approximately $528 - the largest average donation ever.

Kris Lindenmeyer, your co-chair, joins me in saying it fills us with warmth to know all of us are making a difference in Philadelphia. We hope you find your experience with our Giving Circle meaningful and important; we encourage you to participate in a way that is meaningful to you, and we hope that you will continue your donations for many years forward.

Together in giving.

2026 GCP Grantees

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:08:29 GMT

The Grants and Recognition Awards for 2026

In May, 2026, GCP gave a total of $120,000 in grants and recognition awards to five nonprofit organizations working to end hunger and ease food insecurity for women and their families in Philadelphia.

Follow the links to learn more about each organizations.

Grantees

The Community Grocer is located in West Philadelphia and their mission is to make eating well easier for everyone by reinventing the corner store to provide important access to fresh, nutritious food and hot meals with their revolutionary business model.

Feast of Justice is located in the Mayfair area but serves 11 zip codes. They run a volunteer-driven food pantry and resource connector and their mission is to address hunger, meet needs and inspire hope as they work for abundant justice in Northeast Philadelphia and beyond.

The People's Kitchen is located in South Philadelphia and is a volunteer-driven collaborative that fights food insecurity by providing free, restaurant-quality meals to people in need. Their mission focuses on food sovereignty, building resilient communities, and educating the people they serve on food justice by transforming food waste into nourishing meals.

Recognition Awardees

Neighborhood Land Power Project is located in West Philadelphia in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Their mission is to build a neighborhood-rooted food and land system through community driven urban farming and food distribution.

Norris Square Neighborhood Project is a cultural hub in the Kensington area committed to uniting and inspiring their community through programs aimed at the cultivation of young leaders, the preservation of Puerto Rican cultural heritage, and the stewardship of community land, urban gardens, food preparation and environmental practices.