WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle

WGC's 2025-2026 Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC)

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC) hosts our Young Women’s Giving Circle (YWGC) for high school aged young women to learn about philanthropy, leadership, community, and specific issues like women’s health and period poverty.

The 2025-2026 WGC Young Women’s Giving Circle:

Is a 9-month program for high school Juniors and Seniors beginning in September 2025 and ending in May 2026.
Is focusing on supporting the WGC’s Break the Cycle: Period Poverty Drive by engaging in and learning about philanthropy, fundraising, grantmaking, leadership, and advocacy.
Includes opportunities such as: monthly virtual educational meetings, period product drives and other support efforts, participation in the WGC’s 2026 Annual Celebration and other WGC events, and participation in the WGC’s Big Give and Mini Give 2026, where YWGC members will give a $5,000 grant award to a local nonprofit partners.
Is chaired by WGC Advisory Board Member Paula Seabright and is managed by the WGC Grants Committee.

Welcome WGC 2025-2026 YWGC Members!

WGC's 2025-2026 YWGC $20,000 Campaign - Join Us!

We are currently seeking to raise $20,000 to support this program in the coming year - thank you for your consideration of support!

Here's how you can help support the Young Women's Giving Circle:

A Gift of $500 - A gift of $500 provides a stipend for a YWGC participant for the 2025-2026 school year. We are aiming for 13 YWGC students - one for each Howard County high school. We are hoping to raise a total of $6,500 so we can fully support their gas money as they deliver products, and to show how much we value their time, talent, and resources as they spend the school year supporting women and girls in Howard County.

A Gift of $1,000 - A gift of $1,000 supports the YWGC's participation in the WGC's "Mini Give", YWGC members will give a $5,000 grant award to a local nonprofit partner. We are hoping to raise a total of $6,000 to fund the "Mini Give" so the YWGC can fully fund and experience impactful grantmaking as part of the "Mini Give".

A Gift of $2,500 - A gift of $2,500 supports the purchase of more "Break the Cycle" period product donation boxes to collect as many products as we can so that YWGC members can pick them up and deliver products around the county. We are hoping to raise a total of $2,500 to purchase all the boxes our YWGC members will need to support the period product drive.

A Gift of $5,000 - A gift of $5,000 supports the full program for the 2025-2026 school year. We are hoping to raise of total of $5,000 to ensure our 13 Young Women's Giving Circle members learn about philanthropy, leadership, community, and specific issues like women’s health and period poverty throughout the 9-month program.

WGC's YWGC Awards $5,000 "Mini Give" Grant

The WGC's Mini Give was part of the May 2025 WGC's Big Give, where women pool their dollars and collectively award grants. Our YWGC interns reviewed 30 Big Give applications and together made a decision on their $5,000 Mini Give grant award to Voices for Children to provide feminine hygiene products for one year to 40 girls and young women ages 11-25 in the foster care system and in the Foster Youth to Independence program.

"We are so proud of these amazing young women" said Paula Seabright, Chair of WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle. "They spent the last nine months learning about philanthropy and how to affect change, which they most certainly have done."