Laurie Farquhar wants to invite you to a friend’s house … a beautiful condo with an ocean view. But it’s the joy in the room that’s so captivating. Women of all ages – professionals, moms, full-time volunteers – are hugging, chatting, laughing. It’s loud. It’s vibrant. It’s a women’s giving circle, and it feels like heaven.
Fueled by a passion for serving others, Laurie Farquhar, president of NCF South Florida, has focused her career and her personal life on radical biblical generosity. While her job regularly puts her in the company of incredibly generous people, it’s her local women’s giving circle that has created some of her most fulfilling relationships.
“The giving circle that I belong to is a beautiful picture of what collective biblical generosity can be,” Laurie says. “It’s joyful, intentional, and it feels like family. It’s a powerful testament to what God can do when women come together with a shared kingdom purpose.”
The giving circle is known as StrikeForce 421, a name inspired by the day the founders first met, April 21, and by the return on investment that they hoped to achieve – one turns to two, and two turns to four. It’s the multiplying effect of giving together.
And what an ROI it has been.
“In 2014, we started out granting $70,000,” Laurie (who serves as the group’s treasurer) says. “The very next year, we hit our $100,000 yearly goal. Then in years three through 10, God multiplied our efforts. And now we’ve given away a total of $1.5 million over the past 10 years. It’s so amazing, and it’s been super fun!”
Though the circle has grown over the past decade and the finances have become more complex, the administrative aspect and costs have not. To manage it all, Laurie uses a Giving Fund at NCF South Florida.
“A Giving Fund at NCF makes it easy to handle the back end … all the collective contributions, grants, and reporting that a giving circle needs,” she says. “As a result, 100 percent of what is given goes to our grant recipients.”
Why a giving circle?
Over time, Laurie says that she has observed three key reasons a Christ-focused giving circle meets the needs of generous women in her community in such a rewarding way.
1. A sense of belonging
Like communities across the country, South Florida has many women who are new to the area and don’t know many people. Others are hungry for more meaningful connection and purpose. The giving circle provides all that and more.
“In a society where people don’t even talk to their neighbors anymore, a giving circle is a powerful means of connection,” Laurie says.
“We may start out as strangers. But when we start sharing meals and life stories and why we believe in the causes we believe in, we end up creating close relationships and a real community, something bigger than ourselves.”
2. Personal involvement
StrikeForce 421 emphasizes giving out of an abundance of the heart and spirit, not just financially. The board members all volunteer their time and talents to Strikeforce. The board also personally covers any operational costs.
The group’s members are invited to attend site visits to the five+ charities they choose each year as semi-finalists. As they get up close and personal with causes in their community, many women end up regularly volunteering, giving directly, and even joining the boards of the charities that apply for grants.
“We become personal advocates for these life-changing charities,” Laurie says. “We volunteer, use our influence, and share on social media,” Laurie says.
3. A way to make a bigger impact – locally
StrikeForce 421 has 100+ members individually committed to giving $1,000 or more each year. By pooling their resources with like-minded givers, the women are invigorated to see their gifts leveraged for greater impact.
They also love that they’re investing in local Christian ministries that serve the area where they live, work, play, and worship. Over the past decade, they’ve given 41 different grants to 31 ministries in their community.
“In the US, 88 percent of funding goes to the top five percent of nonprofits,” Laurie says. “Our recipients are not big-name national ministries. And our grants are pivotal because they lead to additional support. Other donors and foundations say, ‘Oh they got a StrikeForce grant, let’s invest in this.’”
The face of impact
Every Mother’s Advocate (ĒMA) is a powerful example of how this women’s giving circle has helped other women in their community. ĒMA received a StrikeForce 421 grant of $55,000 to expand their court-approved prevention program that helps support moms in crisis, so they can avoid losing their children to the foster care system.
Marquelle is one of those women, a mom whose partner became suddenly abusive and threw her and her children into unimaginable upheaval. While she had been through many programs, Marquelle said that the steadfast support of her ĒMA therapist and advocate, Michelle, was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“No one has ever taken the time out to pray for me,” Marquelle says. “She made her prayers personal with my name…. I’ve never encountered anything like that.”
“When I met Ms. Michelle, it just was a warm embrace, it was different.”
ĒMA founder Charlee Tchividjian says Marquelle’s story of hope is just one example of their ministry to at-risk moms and children made possible by StrikeForce 421.
The ripple effect
In addition to the initial group from South Florida’s Tri County, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade communities, StrikeForce 421 has spun off two new giving circles – one in Miami that has been in place for four years and one in Palm Beach that is just launching.
Laurie says she hopes that the circle widens even further. “What if every community had a giving circle with passionate Christian givers?” she says.
“We pray that our women’s giving circle is just the beginning.”
Connect with an NCF team near you to learn more about joining or starting a giving circle.
