Our Public Spirit (OPS) is a project of the Boston Women’s Fund in collaboration with Haymarket People’s Fund and the Women’s Theological Center (WTC).  OPS recognizes and honors the giving traditions of women of color, while promoting social justice philanthropy within communities of color.  Through OPS, Boston Women’s Fund works to continue diversifying the base of donors who fund social and economic justice efforts. The Circle of Blessings African American Giving Circle and the Jasmine Asian Women Giving Circles are two giving circles started from OPS.

The Giving Circle, Circle of Blessings, is the first African-American giving circle around social justice for women and girls of color in Boston.  As a group we are committed to building a supportive network of women and girls who care about creating healthy, sustainable communities and relationships through the giving of our talent, time, tradition and treasures. For more information: http://thegivingcircle.wordpress.com/about/

The Jasmine Asian Women Giving Circle is a diverse group of multi-generational donors committed to advancing the well-being of women and girls of Asian descent in Massachusetts. The mission is to fund and support Massachusetts organizations and programs that assist and empower Asian/Asian-descent women and girls to achieve their full potential. The full participation of women and girls will empower the Asian community to engage meaningfully in all levels of society. For more information: http://jasminecircle.org/

 

 

In February, 2009 giving  Circle members met with Michele Courton Brown, author, philanthropist and OPS Advisory Committee member, at the home of Ethel Shepard.

OPS Giving Circle Members:

Back Row: Ethel Shepard, Glenda Buell, Catherine Joseph,
Michelle Miller, Kelley Chunn, Cynthia Joseph

Seated: Lisa Rawls, Michele Courton Brown, OPS Advisory
Committee Member

Not Pictured: Erline Belton, Kristen Belton Willis

Photo Credit: The Ameba Group

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Member Spotlight on Erline Belton

Erline Belton is Chairwoman and CEO of Belton’s Crossing, LLC a real estate Development Corporation and the CEO and Founder of the Lyceum Group, an organizational development-consulting firm. The mission of The Lyceum Group is to influence societal and workplace re-thinking and strategy development for individuals and work teams in their places of work. Her life’s work is to be of service to others in their search for truth based effective principle and strategies that support positive business results and individual personal growth. Her focus is in US and international markets. Her most recent international assignments were in South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Cote Te Voire and Zimbabwe. She has spent 25 years as a senior corporate executive in the high technology and in the insurance industry, and eight years in higher education.

For more information about Erline Belton and the Lyceum Group, go to: http://www.lyceumgroupbooks.com