The Pentera Blog
Women's Influence on Philanthropy Is Increasing, According to the Latest Research
Women's wealth is rising. Women are more likely to give. Women give differently. Those three statements from the Women's Philanthropy Institute (WPI) pretty well summarize the recent research on women in philanthropy.
Most of the research on women in philanthropy is being conducted by the WPI, which is part of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Pentera CEO Claudine Donikian served on the advisory board for WPI for seven years.
Here is further explanation of the three recent WPI findings:
1. Women's wealth is rising
The WPI found that "women's share of wealth has risen considerably over the past 50 years and today they hold around 40% of global wealth."
The latest Giving USA report substantiates the increase, finding that "the 56 women on the 2019 Forbes 400 are worth a combined $429.7 billion, up from a combined wealth of $330 billion for the 57 women who appeared on the 2018 list."
2. Women are more likely to give
The WPI found that "across income levels and generations, women are more likely to give, and give more than their male counterparts."
The research has also found that female-headed households are more likely to give to international, community, religious, health care, and youth/family organizations. When a woman's income increases, she is more likely to give a larger percentage of the increase to charity than when a man's income increases. Women also give more on the annual Giving Tuesday—contributing 63% of all donations.
3. Women give differently
The WPI found that "from motivations to causes to behavior, women and men demonstrate different giving patterns."
The research has found that women's giving is more about empathy for others, while men's giving is more about self-interest such as tax savings. Women also like to work together when giving, especially in giving circles—which have far more women members. Women are also more likely to donate to the causes of women and girls.
More information on the recent WPI studies is available here.
