Women Philanthropists are People Too

    It’s official. Women are more generous than men. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s interesting to look at the results of a study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute about how American women give. It found that across all income levels, female-headed households are more likely to give to charity than male-headed households. And, they give away almost twice as much money!

    Women have moved to the forefront of philanthropy for a lot of reasons. More women are in the labor force today than ever before. The pay gap is closing (although not fast enough!) and fully 28 percent of working wives earn more than their husbands. Women now have a voice at the table and they’re using it. After all, they have a lot to say.

    So, what distinguishes a female donor from a male donor? How can we expand our reach into communities of women so that we grow our donor pools and our fundraising results?

    We can do a lot of research on “how women think” and “how women behave.” We can look at marketing statistics and consumer research. We can study the rise of women’s use of social media. We can explore how giving circles work and how women crave connection. And so on.

    But first, let’s remember this: women, their opinions and their behaviors are not uniform. Assuming that all women need a “personal touch” or that they automatically stand in alliance with other women could be described as condescending, but really it’s just lazy.

    I suggest we get to know all our donors and prospects better. Surveys, one-on-one meetings, social media – we must do whatever it takes to hear back from our donors about what they care about most. And we should communicate more about what’s working. All donors want to know that their donations are well-spent and that their money is being used to make real and lasting change. Share our impact with donors and they’ll keep giving.

    Once we’ve got a strong, donor-centric fundraising program in place, then we’re ready to start segmenting. Maybe we think about giving circles for women or junior boards for young entrepreneurs, or whatever strategy will work best for our particular constituents. There is good research out there to help us.

    But no matter how we slice and segment, if we want to tap into the most generous donor pools,we must tap into their minds and hearts by communicating and listening. And, most importantly, by doing really, really good work.

    Here’s a link to research conducted by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

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