Women and Charitable Giving: Sharpe Group Blog
‹ GO BACK
Posted February 4th, 2025

Women and Charitable Giving

Women and giving, philanthropy, planned giving

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s Lily School of Philanthropy has released a new report analyzing how women’s charitable giving has changed over the past two decades. The report concluded that women’s donor participation declined during the pandemic, but their average gifts increased, which could have lasting implications for charitable giving should this trend of overall growth continue.

Interesting findings about women and giving to note:

Resilience of Women’s Giving: Single women showed greater resilience in their giving despite a decline in overall charitable giving from 2000 to 2020.

Impact of COVID-19: During the pandemic, single women’s giving decreased, but the average amounts they donated increased, i.e., fewer women donated, yet those who did gave more.

Gender Differences During COVID-19: Single women who lost earnings during the pandemic were the least likely to give. This statistic does not discount their significant generosity despite the challenges.

Secular and Religious Giving: Single women demonstrated stronger resilience in maintaining contributions to religious causes compared to single men and married couples.

These findings highlight the evolving dynamics of gender and philanthropy, showing that women, despite facing economic and social challenges, continue to play a significant role in charitable giving, particularly during crises. Below are some observations from a previous blog that may guide your efforts to engage women in giving.

Why should you communicate directly with your female donors?

We know that women live longer than men by an estimated five years. This means many women will be solely responsible for the future financial well-being of themselves and their family, including making decisions about the family’s final and often largest philanthropic gift.

It is typically the female’s estate plan that controls the ultimate disposition of wealth. While spouses should have plans that complement one another, women, who often survive their male spouses, are more likely to make the final decisions for the disposition of the couple’s assets. It is crucial that women take an active role in managing their finances and protecting their assets and have a clear plan for distributing those assets.

This highlights the importance of informing your female donors about their estate planning and philanthropic options while also ensuring that they are comfortable with the terminology and their own autonomy.

What should you communicate directly with your female donors?

An underlying necessity for the success of any fundraising program is that you must know your donors to better identify the type and timing of gifts, based on your donor’s individual needs and intentions.

Please note that the following characteristics are very general and have been observed and documented in multiple studies. However, each individual is different, and these generalizations should be used to guide broad marketing strategies. We believe in the importance of building relationships with donors and potential donors and identifying their unique characteristics.

Gender matters in philanthropy; men and women engage in philanthropy differently. One approach is not better than the other. Broadly, men tend to be transactional, while women approach money and philanthropy in a much more nuanced fashion. Women tend to view their wealth as a means to pursue a life that expresses their deepest values, not as a measure of their success. They see money as a conduit for their intentions, and its value is in its purpose.

Some distinguishing elements of women’s philanthropy are a desire for measurable impact and a sense of community in their giving. In choosing where and how to give, women often research a cause or an organization in depth before giving. They are looking to see how their gift will benefit and influence their communities. While it may seem counter to societal perceptions, in many ways, women are looking for more accountability in their philanthropy than their male counterparts.

A desire by women to find community in giving often presents itself in the pooling of philanthropic resources to achieve greater impact. Women embrace collaborative giving. It’s been found that in marriage, women socialize their husbands into giving. The same is true for children. A woman’s family often becomes her giving community. It has been said that philanthropy is like table manners—absorbed and learned at home.

Targeted communications to women require that you have a robust database that includes gender, marital status, giving history and wealth, at a minimum. The more and better data that you have on your donors, the more successful your communications will be. By adding demographic data to your donor files, you can segment and communicate more effectively, increasing your success in current and deferred gift planning efforts.

It’s important for nonprofits to understand that each woman has a different background, different passions and interests, may respond to different messaging and will support organizations that they connect with emotionally. By developing a thoughtful marketing and cultivation strategy and through ongoing stewardship, you can ensure you are reaching this important demographic who has the potential to make a significant difference in your fundraising efforts.

Kristin Croone, JD, Sharpe Group Senior Consultant for planned givingKristin Croone, JD, is a senior consultant who assists her clients with estate settlement as well as provides advice and develops strategies for successful planned giving programs. Connect with Kristin at kristin.croone@sharpegroup.org or via LinkedIn.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sharpe Group Blog

Archives