Research shows that women are more likely than men to use philanthropic networks when making charitable decisions, and they give more when they do. Thus it behooves planned gift officers to connect women prospects with women donors who are already in philanthropic networks—and some nonprofits are forming their own women's councils in order to do so.
Several studies looking at the dramatic increase in formal philanthropic networks in the past decade have found that many more women than men participate in groups where donors share information—sometimes pooling their resources and deciding together how to allocate funds. The 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women's Philanthropy conducted by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy found that high-net-worth women who are in a philanthropic network are more likely to "give back to the community" than women who are not in a network. (Pentera President & CEO Claudine A. Donikian serves on the advisory council of the Women's Philanthropy Institute that conducts the school's research on women in philanthropy.)
Some nonprofits, particularly universities, have formed their own women's philanthropy councils to gather together female donors and prospective donors who work together in support of that particular charity. Nonprofits supported by the United Way can refer prospective donors to the local United Way leadership council. It can also be effective to connect prospective donors 1-on-1 with women who have already given to your organization.
The evidence for the astonishing success of women's philanthropic networks is unequivocal:
https://pentera.com/whitepapers/women-in-philanthropy