Our Goals

In 2019, a group of friends came together to pay it forward to nurture others, and the Ogden Circle of Giving was established. In order to engage their children in philanthropy as well, the group established the Ogden Youth Circle of Giving for youth up through age 24. Based in the Ogden, Utah region, the Ogden Circle of Giving is a forum for women to pool funding and grant to organizations that are making an impact in their community. 

The Ogden Circle of Giving’s vision is an ever-expanding circle that supports others to grow in ways that may not have otherwise been possible. We work to create opportunities for women of all walks of life to share ideas and open-minded discussion while having a significant impact on our community through annual grants.

Apply for Funding

The Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation and the OCOG invest in programs designed to support organizations that promote positive change through creativity, innovation, education, or enhanced well-being. We are committed to fostering growth and empowering individuals and organizations like yours to make a lasting impact. 

We follow an objective set of measures drawn from the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation endowment and in accordance with one or more of the following criteria: 

• Access to healthcare, particularly underserved populations, women’s healthcare, and homeless populations in the Greater Ogden Area.
• Ogden-centric civic and arts efforts
• Conservation and environmental projects in the Greater Ogden area
• Greater Ogden early childhood programs and education, including projects that provide enrichment beyond traditional school or community forums (*Schools K-12 are exempt from applying)

Key details:

• Application opens: September 21, 2023
• Application closes: October 21, 2023
• Eligibility criteria: See the above criteria outline.
• Application process: Determine if your organization is eligible and simply fill out the online application (No LOI needed).
• Selection criteria: Key factors include the core values of health, community, and enhanced well-being with a focus on healthcare, arts, and environmental projects while keeping in mind the number of people impacted.
• Award notification: Applicants can expect to hear about the selection results on or before November 28, 2023.

Apply Now

Our Grantmaking

2022 Grant Giving, March 2022:

Utah for Ukraine Fund

The Jackson Byck Cancer for College Fund

Youth Futures

WSU Women's Center

Come out and Play

2021 Grant Giving, October 2021:

Utah Afghan Community Fund 

YCC Family Crisis Center 

Weber State Children's School at the Community Education Center 

WSU Catapult Scholarship 

Saint Martha's Baby Project 

Give Me A Chance 

2020 Grant Giving: April 2020, $3,000 to the YCC Your Community Connection 

 From Margaret Rose, YCC ED:

Thank you, Ogden Giving Circle for giving to the YCC. The intent to empower women is a solution-driven decision and a powerful way to change the lives of women, children, and communities. We see it play out everywhere in the world. If you want to change the status of a community, you change the status of women. 

Particularly now, given that so much of our world is communicating virtually, lack of technology is a tremendous barrier. Women who have left their abusers and home generally leave with very little. They are also commonly not working, working in low-wage or part-time work and are often doing so without access to technology. Even women who make a living wage and higher are generally without technology. This would make access to resources, job searches, and communication much easier. Even libraries are currently closed, and that's where many individuals go to access technology, pay bills, communicate with children's teachers, etc. 

We have recently been able to purchase Chromebooks for about $200 each. They are durable and include anti-virus software (something we could all use right now!) and have been working well. 

If we had access to flexible funds, we would purchase more Chromebooks and use them as incentives for women to make progress, meet with their case managers, attend domestic violence classes. We would combine the computer with basic computer skills, resume and letter writing, email class. They could take the Chromebook with them once they're fully on their own. That's a dang good $200 investment and it would change lives.

Thank you and sincere thanks for thinking of us!

Margaret Rose, MS, MPH

2020 Grant Giving: April 2020, $3,000 to the YCC Your Community Connection (Update)

From Margaret Rose, YCC ED:

Over the last couple of years we've been working to improve our youth programming and outreach. It's a really popular program and I wanted us to maximize the time we have with our young people (ages 10-16 mostly) with a proven curriculum and activities. We also have separate programming in our child care center (babies to age 12) but no formal curriculum. Our parenting classes utilize an evidence-based curriculum. Until now, we haven't had the resources to purchase the curriculum that effectively ties the three age groups together with similar language and learning. With your gift, we purchased an early-childhood through 8th grade curriculum that focuses on teaching children to develop empathy, conflict/negotiation skills, avoid bullying, learn ways to keep their friends while also staying safe, develop social skills, and more. The program is called Second Step and I've used it in the past for years and it's very good. I'm thrilled to have it in place at YCC as I've seen the growth it can help make in children. Better yet, it gives children a language to use that is consistent with the language, expectations and approaches taught in our parenting classes and now gives us cohesive and aligned programming all aimed at developing healthy relationships. We work hard with our moms and kids to break some pretty damaging cycles they're experiencing and this will be another critical tool for us to support that growth. We know breaking the intergenerational cycle of violence is essential for healthier lives and communities. 

Please pass along my sincere thanks to the group and please know you're helping lots of women and children adopt healthier, more positive behaviors and relationships. 

2021 Grant Giving: April 2021, $1,000 to Weber State University's Women's Center

Dear Ogden Giving Circle,
Every day, Utahns are impacted by sexual and domestic violence, including on our campus and in our local communities. We know that 1 in 3 Utah women experience domestic abuse or intimate partner violence in their lifetime and that 10% of Utahns experience sexual violence in (1 in 6 women, 1 in 2 trans individuals, and 1 in 3 men). As a commuter campus, we know many students both on- and off-campus are experiencing harm at the hands of those closest to them: partners, family members, friends, and trusted leaders.

Our Safe@Weber Advocacy Services program is free and confidential to members of our Weber State community (students, staff, faculty, and guests). Most of the individuals we serve have been impacted by sexual violence, assault, rape, domestic/dating or intimate partner violence, harassment, and/or stalking. We strive to provide survivor-centered and trauma-informed services that focus on safety and empowerment for each person that we work with, and a large portion of which is our Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency Fund. By providing direct payment or funds to survivors, we are able to help empower them to create and sustain safety for themselves and their families. This might mean we assist with purchasing new clothes or linens taken as part of a forensic investigation, paying for
emergency housing and a meal plan, purchasing a safe phone to communicate with others and use to reach out for help, or gift cards to purchase food, gas, pet food or needed household items for their families. There are many barriers that prevent survivors from seeking help, including financial pressures to stay within a relationship or the inability to physically leave an unsafe situation due to lack of resources. This fund is supported entirely by private donations from our community.

Your contribution of $1000 to our Safe@Weber Survivor Emergency fund helps us help survivors. With your donation, we will be able to provide emergency funding to a survivor in a moment of need, and hopefully assist them in creating many more moments of safety. Thank you.

Members