Tiffany Circle members from the UK, Canada and US at the launch event
Tiffany Circle will allow successful women to donate at least £5,000 a year to projects of their choice
The British Red Cross has launched a new women-only fundraising initiative after a a similar project in the US proved successful.
The Tiffany Circle will be made up of successful women who give their time, skills and influence as well as money. Members will donate at least £5,000 a year to projects of their choice affecting women and children. A chief executive, a managing director and a doctor are among those who have already signed up to the scheme.
The US Tiffany Circle, which has almost 1,000 members, has raised more than $44m (£27m) for the American Red Cross since its launch five years ago.
Mark Astarita, director of fundraising at the British Red Cross, said: "We have seen a desire among women in the UK to get more involved in their giving and they have told us that they enjoy giving collectively. The Tiffany Circle is about women coming together to make a massive difference, but what sets it apart is that the women choose where their money is directed, shape how it is used and provide their own skills and expertise to the organisation."
The Tiffany Circle gets its name from the windows, produced by Tiffany Studios in 1917, in the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington DC.
