10 Meaningful Ways to Give to the WGC

At the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, every donor plays a vital role in supporting women and girls in our community.  Whether you give, attend an event, volunteer, or spread the word - every action expands our impact. View our upcoming events here


​Here are 10 meaningful ways to support the WGC:

• Make a General Gift to the WGC: Support our ongoing work with a one-time, recurring, and/or Year-End gift that helps us fund critical programs and grants. Give a gift to the WGC for any reason here

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• Give to the Emergency Response Network: Be part of our rapid response team of donors who receive urgent calls to action and give quickly when a need arises. Give to the ERN here  

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• Support the WGC “Break the Cycle” Period Product Drive: Donate funds or products to help provide essential period supplies to women and girls in Howard County. Support the Drive here

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• Give to the WGC’s Young Women’s Giving Circle (YWGC): Empower the next generation of philanthropists by supporting our youth-led circle for young women. Give to the YWGC here

 

• NEW! Give to the Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz Women’s Philanthropy Award: Honor Buffy’s legacy by supporting this new annual award, which will uplift women leaders and provide a $5,000 grant to a Howard County nonprofit serving women and girls. Give to support the BBS Award here

• Sponsor the WGC: Become a sponsor of the WGC throughout the year to amplify your impact. Become a WGC 2026 Year-long Sponsor here

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• Participate in the WGC’s Big Give: Join the Big Give 2026 as an individual or as a team of up to four donors for maximum collective impact. Join the WGC Big Give 2026 here

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• Make a Gift to the WGC “In Her Honor or Memory”: Give in honor or memory of a woman who inspires you, leaving a meaningful tribute that uplifts others. Give in Her Honor or Memory here

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• Make a Legacy Gift to the WGC: Include the WGC in your estate plans to ensure your commitment to women and girls lives on for future generations. Learn more about a Legacy gift here

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• Give to the Barb Van Winkle Leadership Fund: Honor Barb and WGC's women's philanthropic leadership with a gift in her/their honor! Give a gift to the BVWLF here​

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Why Give to the WGC?

Why Give to the WGC?

Because less than 2% of all charitable dollars in the US goes to support women and girls. 

The WGC's mission is to build a community of philanthropists to address the needs of women and girls in Howard County. We give to programs that benefit women and girls because they are traditionally underfunded.

WGC is proud to be a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County. EIN Number: 52-0937644. Find us on Guidestar.

You can donate online or via check by mail - contact us with any questions! Let us know if you would like your donation to be anonymous. Thanks for being a part of this network of women, and thanks for donating to the WGC!

WGC Funds Programs that Benefit Women and Girls

WGC donors are having a greater impact together than they might otherwise have alone - that is the power of our giving circle:
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• All gifts support our grantmaking, our core strength, and/or our endowment.
• 80 cents of every dollar given to the WGC goes directly to our Grantmaking, and 20 cents of every dollar goes to support our Core Strength, so we can ensure we are able to continue our important work each year.
• The only two exceptions are gifts to the Emergency Response Network, where 100% of the gifts go to address the stated emergency, and for Legacy gifts, where 100% of the donation goes to the WGC's Endowment.

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The Women's Giving Circle Advisory Board is made up of a diverse group of women from all sectors who live, work and/or volunteer in Howard County and are working to promote philanthropy among women in order to give grants to programs that focus on women and girls. We are proud that 100% of our 2025 Advisory Board has not only given time and talent, but has also given financial support to further the WGC's mission. The WGC Advisory Board is committed to transparency in every aspect of our organization and our funding.