A female-powered group that pools money for maximum charitable impact, the Women’s Giving Circle, recently announced it will distribute more than $40,000 in grants to Chippewa Valley programs that help women and children.

Members of the Women’s Giving Circle, a fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, voted in November to make $41,300 in grants to seven programs and organizations:

• Altoona Boys and Girls Club: “Social-Emotional Program Enhancements”
• Chippewa Valley Museum: Children’s Gallery Renovation at the Wisconsin Logging Museum
• Chippewa Valley Youth Choirs (UWEC Foundation, fiscal sponsor): Music Library Freshen Up
• Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association: “Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds Through Transformational Cultural Retreat”
• HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital Foundation: “Eau Claire School-Based Mental Health Program”
• Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan: “Gaining Ground”
• Professional Dental Hygiene Express, Inc.: “Bright Smiles”

These grants bring the total amount distributed by the Women’s Giving Circle to nearly $500,000 since it was founded in 2007. That’s when a group of more than 100 founders each pledged to donate $1,000 over four years to start the fund. As of 2023, more the Women’s Giving Circle has more than 250 members.

This year’s grant recipients will receive their awards at the Gift of Giving Breakfast on Dec. 5 at the Florian Gardens in Eau Claire. Learn more by visiting eccfwi.org or calling (715) 552-3801.