RALEIGH, NC (November 6, 2006) - Once Arlene Ugbaja actually said the words out loud, she was destined to begin another aspect of her legacy as a philanthropist. "I mused, ‘I think I could start a giving circle,' and that was the catalyst for the creation of Raleigh's ‘Having Our Say' women's giving circle" recalls Ugbaja. "After that statement was out there in the universe, it was bound to happen."
Like most women who are interested in making a difference, the first thing Ugbaja did was call her friends. "I called a group of friends over one Sunday after church. Everyone had to wear a hat so it was like a dainty afternoon tea," she says. "I didn't really know what we were getting into at the start."
Traditional views of philanthropy prevailed at that initial meeting. These nine women with connections to various universities in the area grappled with whether they could or should increase their giving when they already gave to their churches, alumni associations, health organizations, and other community causes. But once the women had really dissected the issues faced in this country, they decided that they wanted to be part of the emerging trend in philanthropy: giving of the three T's (time, talent, and treasure).
It was a talented group from the start. As university administrators, they found immediately that there were needs in the community of their "talent and time." Those women in the group with special knowledge about financial aid provided much-needed information and assistance to the local Boys & Girls' Club about applying for college financial aid. They provided their first "treasure" to a family whose lives were wrecked by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
In less than a year, these nine women have found immediate worthy causes to support and they've stretched themselves to help meet those needs. Now the giving circle embarks on the next step as they begin to collect money. They decided that each member should contribute no less than $20 monthly to their fund but a few have already pledged as much as $100 a month to support their efforts.
The long-reaching effects of the group's activities have stretched from Louisiana up the seaboard to New Jersey where Ugbaja's 27-year-old daughter, Isioma is beginning to contemplate how she will continue to give to the communities in which she resides.
"I grew up the only child of a single mother," says Isioma. "and the lessons of giving were everywhere. Since mom worked in university settings, I've watched her help people all my life. It's assumed that like her, I will give back."
Isioma's beginnings are off to an illustrious start. In addition to earning a Masters' degree in public administration from Baruch College, Isioma found that her mother's example of actively participating in the community was reinforced in other aspects of her life, including through her college sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Already Isioma has a long list of volunteerism including spending a summer assisting in a program for disadvantaged children, volunteering at a rest home, volunteering at the Durham Rescue Mission and the Ronald McDonald House, among others.
The two women are both finding ways to help others by providing hand-ups, not hand-outs. Arlene's founding of a giving circle as a way of problem-solving is one of her methods and Isioma is already contemplated what she learned at the North Carolina Network of Women Givers' first conference. The presence of this mother-daughter team depicts in real-world terms the motto that Arlene repeated throughout Isioma's childhood: our children are the fruit of our future. Their example is one of many in North Carolina of the power of women and the strength given to communities when women join together to address a problem.
The North Carolina Network of Women Givers is a powerful statewide demonstration of the social, human, intellectual and financial capital women bring to solve the seemingly intractable problems facing women and children in our state. Through networking and support common to women who join together to address issues, these female philanthropists are contributing time, talent and treasure to their communities.
Generational Philanthropy
