Women’s Money Circles

Empowering, Educating, and Engaging Women about Money

SFEPD Financial Literacy Leadership ConferenceSeptember 29, 2014

Tacy Paul Roby, CFP®Regional Vice President, Calvert Investments

Eleanor Blayney, CFP®Consumer Advocate for CFP Board

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The Power of Circle

Meeting in circle dates from pre-history; symbolically

and literally puts participants on equal ground

Builds trust through well-defined principals and process

Provides opportunity to share leadership, to hear and

be heard

Puts money, often an isolating and anxious topic for

women, into a social and supportive context

Helps women gain courage and resolve to take next

necessary steps to become financially aware 2

The Three Principles of Circle

Leadership rotates

Responsibility for the experience is shared

Participants rely on inspiration, not personal

or formal agendas, to guide the discussion

Source: Christina Baldwin, Calling the Circle, The First and Future Culture, 1998.3

The Three Practices of Circle

Speak with intention

Listen with attention

Tend to the well-being of the group

Source: Christina Baldwin, Calling the Circle, The First and Future Culture, 1998.4

Setting Circle Agreements

We keep stories & personal info confidential

We listen to others with compassion and curiosity

We ask for what we need and offer what we can

We agree to have a group guardian to watch our

timing, needs, and energy

We agree to pause when signaled by the guardian,

and to call for that signal when we need to pause

Source: Christina Baldwin, Calling the Circle, The First and Future Culture, 1998.5

WelcomeCheck-In

Core ConversationsCheck-out

The Process of Circle

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Defining the Circle Intention

Circle = collaborative conversations

What money issues lend themselves to productive

collaborations?

-- money literacy; learning together

-- recognizing financial behaviors

-- setting and meeting goals with group support

What would get women to show up?

-- what is the pebble in their shoe? 7

Example: Circle Intention and Design

Circle Topic: “Introducing a Women’s Money Circle”

Intention: Creating a safe a space to explore money topics

Check-in: What prompted you to respond to the invitation to a

Women’s Money Circle?

Powerful Questions:

When you talk about money, what do you feel?

Where are those feelings located in your body?

What would financial confidence look like? Feel like?

What could we do together that we cannot do alone?

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Example: Circle Intention and Design

Circle Topic: “Money, Value, and Our Values”

Intention: Getting in touch with the value we want our financial decisions

to honor

Check-in: What are some things that have value for you? What values

did you bring here today?

Powerful Questions:

How are your values reflected in the way you spend money?

How are your values reflected in the way you spend time?

Share a story about a time when you used money in support

of your values

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Example: Circle Intention and Design

Circle Topic: “Women’s Ways of Knowing”

Intention: Exploring what we already know as women, mothers,

wives, friends that can help us with our financial management

Check-in: What do you know for sure?

Powerful Questions:

What works well with our children, our relationships?

Can this knowledge, wisdom help us with our money?

What would it take for you to really understand finances?

Are you ready for this knowledge?

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Contact Information

Tacy Paul Roby240-491-1539

tacy.roby@calvert.com

Eleanor Blayney703-624-5568

eblayney@cfpboard.org

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