At Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, we know that care is at the heart of strong communities. We also know that building a culture of care means rethinking how we organize ourselves, and share responsibility and resources.
To explore this connection, Hand in Hand’s Executive Director Stacy Kono sat down with Hali Lee — author of The Big We, co-founder of the Donors of Color Network and founder of the Asian Women Giving Circle — to talk about how giving circles and care-centered organizing intersect.
Below is an edited summary of the conversation. The full video of their conversation can be found at the bottom of this post.
Edited Summary of Stacy & Hali’s Conversation
Stacy Kono (SK): We’ve been talking a lot about how care shows up in movements. How do you think about care in your giving circle work?
Hali Lee (HL): Giving circles are communities of care. We come together, pool resources, and decide collectively where to direct them. It’s not just about giving money — it’s about practicing democracy, building relationships, and centering care throughout the process.
SK: That resonates. At Hand in Hand, we talk about care both as the invisible labor that keeps families and communities going, and as an ethic for how we organize. Care is political. Recognizing the value of domestic work — and how we treat one another in our spaces — is part of creating systemic change.
HL: Exactly. Care is often invisible in philanthropy. Giving circles shift that by ensuring that voices — especially those of women of color and immigrant communities — are at the center of decision-making. That’s care too: making sure those who are most impacted have the most power.
SK: For our members — people who employ nannies, house cleaners, and home attendants — there’s something very similar. We’re learning to come together, share responsibility, and act collectively. In many ways, that looks like what you describe with giving circles.
HL: Whether it’s giving or organizing, the questions are the same: Who gets to belong? Who gets cared for? Who gets to decide?
SK: I love that framing. At Hand in Hand, we want to build a culture where care is valued, where the work of caregivers is respected, and where community is at the center.
HL: That’s the future I want too — where giving, care, and solidarity are woven together.
