When We Give Together, We Rise Together | Dyma AbuOleim | TEDxCarrollwood

Dyma AbuOleim challenges the traditional perception of philanthropy as exclusive to wealthy elites like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett by returning to its Greek roots meaning 'love of people.' She introduces giving circles as a powerful collective giving model where community members pool small contributions to create significant local impact. Her giving circle operates by gathering 200 people who each pledge $100 quarterly, generating $20,000 that gets distributed as grants to local nonprofits, with the largest being $10,000. The process involves nomination, learning about organizations through presentations, voting, and ongoing partnership beyond just financial support. AbuOleim shares a compelling story about Jiren, a student who skipped school due to lack of clean clothes, illustrating how addressing basic needs through their $10,000 grant to serve 400 homeless students in Hillsborough County transformed educational outcomes. She traces her personal journey from joining a casual giving circle in 2012 to starting her own with Muslim sisters when values weren't aligned, emphasizing the importance of shared principles. The speaker presents research showing giving circles are democratizing philanthropy, with a 50% increase in funding to communities of color over four years, compared to traditional philanthropy where only 8% goes to communities of color and 2% to women and girls initiatives. Beyond external impact, giving circles transform participants themselves, with 83% reporting increased empowerment and civic engagement. AbuOleim concludes that healing communities doesn't require billionaires but rather circles of committed neighbors who pool resources, hope, and love to support local nonprofits and create lasting change.