TTN PHILADELPHIA GIVING CIRCLE

 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

December, 2022

Dear Giving Circle members and friends:

Our 10th anniversary year, which we have designated as “The Year of the Child”, is coming to a close at the end of this month.  By recognizing the crisis facing Philadelphia’s children, we have encouraged our members, friends and family to join us in our most ambitious fundraising drive to date, in order to have the maximum impact on their lives. The money we will have raised by year’s end will fund our 2023 grants to nonprofit organizations serving Philadelphia’s children.

To help our membership and the community better understand the plight of children in Philadelphia today and highlight those on the frontlines addressing their needs, we presented three panel discussions. 

Our first program, in February, focused on “The Most Pressing Issues Facing Philadelphia’s Children Today.” Our stellar panelists—Donna Cooper and Tomea Sippio-Smith (Children First), Marcus Allen, (Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region), City Council Member Kendra Brooks and two students from Philadelphia public schools, discussed the role that poverty and systemic racism play in the daily lives of Philadelphia’s children. Of our City’s approximately 344,000 children, half of them are Black and 39% of these children live in poverty. Where a child lives significantly impacts the quality of their life, from housing and food insecurity, to safety, quality of education and access to health care. Each of our panelists emphasized the critical role that mentors and positive adult role models play in changing the trajectory of children’s lives.

Our second program, in April, focused on solutions – “Opportunity, Engagement & Empowerment – The Future of Philadelphia’s Youth” focused on the importance of connection. It identified the reasons why young people become disconnected from school and family, and the long-term consequences of that disconnection. Panelists included Cynthia Figueroa (JEVS Human Services), Ameen Akbar (Philadelphia Youth Basketball), Chekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend (Philadelphia Youth Network), City Council Member Isaiah Thomas and two youth participants. Each highlighted the role of poverty and the barriers our youth face that prevent them from taking advantage of educational opportunities and participating in job support services. These include lack of accessible and affordable transportation and lack of access to technology for school and work. Mitigating interventions include trusting and culturally relatable mentorships, academic enrichment, leadership development opportunities, sports programs, mentorship programs and job training.

“Gun Violence & Philadelphia’s Children—A Public Health Crisis” was our final program on September 13th. At a time when 2022 is on track to be the most violent year in Philadelphia’s history, this program was particularly relevant. The trauma from gun violence extends beyond the victims and their families; it hurts our communities and generations of people who live in them, and disproportionately affects people of color, as explained by our panelists—City Council Member Helen Gym, Kendra van de Water (YEAH Philly), Reuben Jones (Frontline Dads), Natasha McGlynn (Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia) and our youth participants. The discussion explained that gun violence didn’t happen overnight. The pandemic made an existing problem exponentially worse. The roots include poverty, lack of good paying jobs, housing and food insecurity, an unprecedented number of guns on our streets and a history of red-ling practices and disinvestment in Black communities in Philadelphia were exacerbated by the pandemic. The District Attorney’s Office has identified 57 blocks where 10 or more people have been shot since 2015 and 25 schools where gun violence occurs most often. Our panelists reminded our audience that in these communities, it’s easier to get a gun than a tomato. These nonprofit organizations seek to intervene to break the cycle of trauma that results from gun violence by giving young people safe spaces and alternatives to “street life.” Despite the City of Philadelphia’s fiscal allocations to numerous anti-violence programs and the Philadelphia Police Department, the violence persists. Why? Because until the underlying causes of poverty and the other issues named above, which our three programs discussed, are addressed and remedied, the violence will continue.

Thank you to all who have helped with our fundraising efforts this year and for participating in our educational programs. Your knowledge and support will help make a positive difference in our community. We look forward to seeing you at other educational programs as we begin to craft our programming for 2023. All the best and Happy Holidays!

With great appreciation,



Sandi Slap and Mary Klein

10th Anniversary Committee

TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle



Alice opened by commenting on the important and unique role the Giving Circle plays as the philanthropic arm of TTN Philadelphia. In addition to recognizing the impact of its grants on Philadelphia women and children, she commended the partnership that has been built through volunteer opportunities and the value the Giving Circle’s educational programs bring to TTN.

Then we heard from Mary Klein, one of the Giving Circle’s founders, who took us on a quick trip through time that highlighted our impact over the last ten years and marveled how our Giving Circle has grown from a group of women around a dining table to over 170 strong. She noted how our members drive the power of our collective giving. 

Following Mary, we heard from our guest speakers, Marypat Tracy and Nancy Morrow, representing SOWN (Supportive Older Women’s Network), one of the Giving Circle’s 2022 grants recipients. They focused on how SOWN supports grandparents and other caregivers who step up to take care of young children due to issues within the family that preclude the child’s parents from taking care of their children.  Marypat and Nancy expressed their appreciation for the financial support they received from our Giving Circle. 

Carol Williams, our new Grants Committee chair, provided an overview of the 2023 grants process. She reviewed the calendar and spoke to the rewards of being on the Grants Committee, including the valuable and much appreciated site visits. Anyone interested in joining the Grants Committee should reach out to Carol. Grants Committee work begins in January and ends with May annual voting meeting. 

Next, TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle members, Moya Kinnealey and Susan Bleiberg shared their personal journeys. Moya, a long-term member, and Susan, who joined a couple of years ago, both emphasized how important philanthropy is to them and how, through the power of collective giving, they are able to have such a powerful impact as well as appreciate the personal rewards the Giving Circle provides.   

The evening concluded where it began, with mixing and mingling, but this time over cookies, coffee and a “Thank you” chocolate bar, which was given to everyone who attended. It was truly an inspirational and uplifting evening.  Thank you to everyone who has given generously over the years to help improve the lives of women and children in need in Philadelphia. The power of collective giving is also the power of friendship. Thank you all.

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The Wagner Free Institute of Science was one of TTN Philadelphia Giving Circle's grant recipients in 2022. Incorporated in 1855, the Institute is a natural history museum and educational institution dedicated to providing free science education and programs to local children. 

The Institute is pleased to welcome all interested TTN and Giving Circle members on Thursday, December 15th. We will be given a tour and then Susan Glassman, Director of the Institute, will provide us a history of the Institute and explain to us how our grant is benefiting children in underserved communities within Philadelphia.

Please know that we welcome any donation but, if you make a membership contribution of $200 or more before the Dec. 31, you are then entitled to vote on May 18th (mark your calendar) on which nonprofits will receive our funds. And, you recently received an email asking you for your suggestions on deserving nonprofits. Keep them coming in! They will be added to the list.

Meanwhile, we are preparing for our campaign celebration on Thursday, January 26th (mark that date too!) That’s when we will have tallied the funds collected in 2022 and will share our results with you - our Giving Circle members - and have a grand celebration. Stay tuned for time and place.

What better holiday gift than giving to the "Year of the Child." We look forward to everyone’s support.

All Giving Circle members are welcome! Whether new to the Giving Circle or a long time member, whether an experienced Grants Committee member or a first timer – joining the Grants Committee is a great way to meet other civic-minded women like you, learn what amazing work nonprofits are doing for Philadelphia’s children, and be part of identifying the finalist nonprofits for our May’s Annual Voting meeting.  

When Chris Beck was our featured member in February’s Spotlight in the Giving Circle newsletter, she described her experience in this way:

Learning how many nonprofits in the city, you don’t normally hear about, are doing wonderful targeted work and their depth of mission is fabulous. And meeting new people who care about the same thing as I do is meaningful. Passion and mission can bring us together with wonderful people.

The Grants Committee has the important role of reading the nonprofits’ grant applications, recommending the nonprofits that will move forward for site visits, participating in site visits to meet the nonprofits’ leaders and better understand how their missions’ are served, and importantly, recommending the finalists all Giving Circle members will meet and vote on at May’s Annual Voting meeting.

Interested? The grants cycle runs from January through May. You’ll work as part of a team. We train you and walk you through each stage of the process. No experience necessary. If you have any questions, or already know you want to volunteer, please email us at ttnphlgivingcirclegrants@gmail.com. The personal rewards you’ll receive cannot be overstated. Come join us!