New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle
Established in 2005, the New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle hearkens to Dr. King’s famous last speech: “I’ve been to the mountaintop.”
Join the New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle for $100/year
Mission Statement
- To promote and expand a culture of philanthropy to improve the quality of life, potential and futures of African American youths in the community.
- To reconnect to the vision and values that sustained and unified the African American community throughout its history of slavery and oppression.
What is a Giving Circle?
A giving circle is a form of participatory philanthropy where a group of individuals like the TCG board, donates money and time to a pooled fund, decides together where to give these away to local nonprofits or community projects and, in doing so, seeks to accomplish the circle’s mission. The Community Group learned about giving circles from Athan Lindsay and Daryl Lester funded by a Ford Foundation grant. The New Mountain Climbers giving circle members are all the members of the TCG board. The TCG board established an endowed fund with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley.
The Foundation keeps and manages the fund. The giving circle named the fund “The New Mountain Climbers Fund,” the purpose of which is the mission of TCG: to enrich the African American community in Montgomery County, Virginia through political action, education, leadership, and economic empowerment (community investment).
Join the New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle for $100/year. Help create a community that works for us all!
New Mountain Climbers Highlights
- The New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle was the first giving circle in the New River Valley, and catalyzed the formation of other giving circles throughout the region. “Birds of a feather,” the members of the growing network of giving circles are independent and autonomous yet joined in philanthropic purpose.
- Over $21,600 in assets; managed and audited by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley.
- $31,000 in grants and gifts to charitable community projects and programs.
- The Ford Foundation provided startup endowment support and encouragement for our pioneering work as a black philanthropy.
- A charter member of the Community Investment Network, a national association of African American giving circles.
- The New Mountain Climbers is the Community Group’s contribution to the spread and strengthening of a culture of grassroots philanthropy in Virginia’s New River Valley.
Help build the New Mountain Climbers Endowment Fund at The Community Foundation of the New River Valley.
You do not have to be a Giving Circle member to contribute to the endowment. Every donation makes a big difference! Use The Community Foundation’s Give Now form (click below) and add “New Mountain Climbers” in the field labeled “To direct your donation to a specific fund, please share more information below, such as the fund name or area of the foundation you’d like to give to.” Note that this will not make you a member of the New Mountain Climbers. To join, email Penny Franklin.
