Archive for the ‘Membership’ Category

Our sincere thanks to Caren Camp and Jenny Considine for hosting Giving Circle parties in March.  Both parties were so much fun, and really gave us a chance to catch up and be inspired by all we do!

Mark your calendars:
Our next Giving Circle open house will be at the home of Sherry Schiller, on May 6th at 6pm.  801 Duke Street. Please join us to reconnect, bring a friend, all are welcome. May 6 has turned out to be a very busy night in Alexandria due to the Campagna Center’s Toast to Fashion, so Sherry Schiller’s membership open house is postponed.  We’ll let you know the new date as soon as we have it.

Board elections are coming up so make sure your vote counts.  Check with Beth to determine whether you are eligible to vote. Or go ahead and renew NOW.  Although checks are our preferred method of payment, if paying online is your preference, that’s OK!  Just click the Donate button on the right.

You might already know Sherry Delaney. She’s been part of the Giving Circle long enough not to be sure when she joined, been involved with the Alexandria Red Cross, the Early Childhood Commission of Alexandria and chairs the ACPS Talented and Gifted Advisory Board.  But do you know about the Safety Net Project, created by Sherry to make it easy for people in Alexandria to directly and immediately help families in need?

“The Safety Net Project is a network of community donors who commit to provide a single $25 gift card to an Alexandria City Public School when an in-school social worker identifies a family in need. These small gifts tide families through short-term emergencies until they can be connected with available social services. The program also helps working families who are over income for many social service programs, but still one illness or missed paycheck away from financial crisis. Donors receive an e-mail when their gift is needed and they deliver the gifts directly to the schools. The commitment to our donors is to ask for a gift card only once or twice in a calendar year.” There is more to this story, just make the click and find out! Read the rest of this entry »

170 people, including 36 new members, generously contributed $65,000  for the Giving Circle’s 2010/2011 priority gifts!  Thank you for your contributions of money and time to a great cause.

Still haven’t made your membership investment?  It’s not too late for you to make a difference.  Please send your check (our preferred form of payment), payable to WGCA/ACT to

The Giving Circle, Membership Chair
P.O. Box 1627
Alexandria, VA 22313.

Or give online by clicking the Donate button to the right.

Please welcome new members Kelly Abramson, Susan Hahn, Janet Hawkins, Jean Kee, Cheryl Malloy, Sherry Schiller, LaRue Sloan, and Jennifer Veech.

Do you have other friends who would enjoy being part of the Giving Circle?  More house parties are coming up. Caren Camp’s is next and it has a new date. Please bring a friend or two and join us at her home, 208 S. St. Asaph Street, on March 2 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. RSVP to Pamela Larson.

Jenny Considine will also host a combined membership and Baskets for Books event on Saturday, March 6, from 10:00 am to noon before the St. Patrick’s Day parade at Jefferson Court (between S. Pitt & S. Royal off of Wilkes St.). RSVP to Pamela Larson.

As the Membership Team looks back on 2009, we feel the year was a success. Our members are engaged, consistently contributing time and money and have supported us in raising funds and reaching new members.

$50,000 is a lot of money! On behalf of the Board and Gift Committee, I thank you for making this investment in the children of Alexandria. If you have not yet made your membership investment, it is not too late.  At 70% of our goal there is still work to do, and every single dollar you give makes a difference. Our renewals by mail including reply envelopes and online donations via Paypal have made it easier than ever to join or renew.  Please send your check (our preferred form of payment), payable to WGCA/ACT to

The Giving Circle, Membership Chair
P.O. Box 1627
Alexandria, VA 22313.

Or give online by clicking the Donate button to the right.

We will continue to host parties at members homes so they can introduce the Circle to their friends, and we find it remains a solid strategy for spreading the word. Caren Camp will host the next open house at her home, 208 S. St. Asaph Street, on February 3 at 7:00 pm. Watch for the announcement!  In 2010, Pamela Larson will help us pursue some partnerships with businesses to grow the amount of money we can invest in the support programs Alexandria parents need.

Any new ideas are always welcome!  Please email me and let me know your thoughts.  Thanks, from Sue.

Happy December from the Membership Team!  Quick question,  Is your reply envelope sitting in your pile of things to do?

Please take a moment today to send your donation to the Giving Circle of Alexandria.

We are working hard to meet our goal of $70,000, a gift large enough to make a better future for Alexandria’s children. Our fall renewal letters, membership coffees and open houses, the five-year celebration, have made a difference and have been a lot of fun. But, at 60%, we are still short of our goal.

Help us to sustain the Circle! Please give the first week of December instead of the last! Every dollar is appreciated and every single dollar you give makes a difference. Please send your check (our preferred form of payment), payable to WGCA/ACT to

The Giving Circle, Membership Chair
P.O. Box 1627
Alexandria, VA 22313.

Or give online now by clicking the Donate button on the right. Thank you for your generosity!

Let’s keep our promises to the children of Alexandria.

We are at 45% of our goal of $70,000 for 2009. Many thanks to those of you who have renewed your investment in The Giving Circle!  But there is still quite a ways to go before December 31, 2009.  At least once a month, we let you know about the fun and important work Giving Circle members are doing but this work alone is not enough.  We need your financial commitment to ensure we have a grant large enough to support sustainable change for Alexandria’s children.

Pooling our resources to make a difference is at the heart of our mission, and your investment is needed and welcome regardless of the size.  Most contributions range from $100 to $5000.  Don’t wait to renew, do it now! Then check out three additional ways to invest in Alexandria’s children.