Terry—who’s now an exceedingly polite and energetic 11-year-old—told her mother, Nakia Bowling, about an idea she had: to give out dolls of color to other black and brown girls who were less fortunate than she was, so they could feel beautiful and less alone.

These groups all operate a little differently but the general concept is that either everyone’s money goes into a central pot, with its destination determined beforehand, or after several rounds of discussion and voting. [Image: courtesy Collective Giving Research Group] What’s perhaps most interesting about these entities is that they’re being fueled by women, according to a new report entitled “The Landscape of Giving Circles/Collective Giving Groups in the U.S.” from the Collective Giving Research Group, which was supported by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. The amount of money in giving circles has tripled over the last decade, with an estimated $1.29 billion being granted overall.