Fundraising Through a Gender Lens

How do you change the world? The simple answer is one woman at a time. In the realm of international development, organizations often focus their efforts on empowering women. Why? According to USAID, “A woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in her future by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family and building a strong community.” Do similarities exist in the area of women’s philanthropy? A series of reports by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy suggests they do. What exactly does the data reveal, and how can this shape our approach to fundraising?

How do giving rates differ between women and men?

The Lilly School’s latest report, Women Give 2019: Gender and Giving Across Communities of Color, reveals that, across all racial groups, households with women are more likely to donate to charity. Single women are more inclined to give to charity than their single male counterparts. However, married and cohabitating couples donate more frequently to charitable causes than both single males and single females. 

What about the ways in which men and women give their time? The report found that similar differences exist when it comes to volunteering. With the exception of Asian Americans, single women were more likely to volunteer than single men, and married couples across all ethnic groups were more likely to volunteer than singles.

This data seems to suggest that married or cohabitating women have a strong influence on the giving patterns of their partners. An earlier report by the Lilly School, Women Give 2018: Transmitting Generosity to Daughters and Sons, demonstrates the importance of parental giving in determining the later generosity of their adult children, further illustrating the ripple effect of generosity.

Do differences exist within particular groups?

According to Women Give 2019, whereas income and wealth are strong predictors of giving, race does not seem to have an effect on household donation levels. Volunteer rates, however, do seem to vary across racial lines. Communities of color are less likely to volunteer in a formal capacity than whites, but more inclined to volunteer informally. The report’s accompanying infographic concludes, “Women in communities of color embrace an expansive view of philanthropy that involves giving time, talent, treasure, and testimony, whether formally and informally.”

Another report in the series, How Women & Men Give Around Retirement, examines gender differences in giving among seniors. The report finds that both men and women maintain their levels of giving after retiring, and that households with women (either single or married) “are more likely to give and give more than single men,” a trend that appears to persist throughout the lifecycle. Another interesting finding is that married couples and single women tend to give at relatively consistent levels throughout retirement, whereas donations by retired single men exhibit more volatility.

What motivates women and men to give?

The Happiness Factor
Research shows that people who give are happier. Women Give 2017: Charitable Giving & Life Satisfaction: Does Gender Matter? found that donating to charity boosted life satisfaction across the board (among single men, single women, and married couples). For single men, their happiness increased the most when they became donors. Households with women saw the biggest boost to life satisfaction with increases in charitable donations, particularly when women were involved in the decision-making process.

However, beyond the happiness factor, men and women have different motivations when it comes to giving. The Women & Philanthropy Podcast, a collaboration between the Campbell Company and the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Lilly School of Philanthropy, further explores this topic through interviews with experts.  

Engaging with Organizations
Direct involvement in an organization’s work is a big motivator for female donors. Leslie Wetzel, the director of Women in Leadership & Philanthropy at the University of San Francisco and associate vice president of Alumni and Donor Engagement, points out that, for women, volunteering is often a precursor to a financial gift. Once women have become involved with an organization, they also tend to wait before making an initial donation or making the leap to a major gift. Thus, engaging women in your cause may take some effort at the outset, but will reap long-term rewards.  

Giving Together
According to Andrea Pactor, Interim Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, another defining aspect of women’s philanthropy is that women like to give together. This may explain the recent rise in the number of giving circles, which have tripled in the U.S. over the last decade and tend to have a majority of female members. Pactor also points out that on days of giving, such as Giving Tuesday, women are much more likely than men to give on the specified day, noting that on Giving Tuesday in 2016, women donated 61% of the total funds raised.    

Mixed Feelings on Public Recognition
Wetzel observes that in some cases major female donors aren’t interested in public recognition, which makes strategies such as naming projects for capital initiatives less appealing to them. On the other hand, some women giving at higher levels may wish to serve as a role model for other female philanthropists.

How can fundraisers tailor their approach to women?

Pactor points out that the fundraising profession developed in the fifties and sixties, at a time when fundraisers focused their efforts on men and designed strategies that were meant to appeal to them. However, some of the strategies developed and used over the decades might not resonate for women.

Drawing on the data, and directly on Wetzel and Pactor’s recommendations, here are some ideas on how to approach female donors.

• First and foremost, make sure women are at the table.

  Both Wetzel and Pactor point out that many gift officers may neglect to meet directly with women, instead focusing on their male spouses. It is important to be aware of the fact that, especially in high net worth families, women tend to drive philanthropic decision-making, and to include them in the process.

• Involve women as volunteers.

  As noted above, women’s volunteer experiences with an organization oftentimes lead to an initial or major charitable donation.

• Explore opportunities for group giving.

  Research giving circles to connect with female philanthropists. If you don’t already have a Giving Tuesday campaign, set one up and engage women in the process.

• Focus on the long-term impact of the gift, rather than recognition.

  Wetzel encourages fundraisers to have open-ended conversations with female donors, focusing on what type of impact they want to have, which can then pave the way for a larger gift.

• Don’t make assumptions.

  Wetzel notes that many times it is assumed that women prefer to donate to women’s causes, but as this is not always the case, presenting female donors with a range of choices is a good approach to take.

• Emphasize the joy of giving.

  It’s important to realize that charitable giving is a win-win for everyone involved, and to help women tap into their deeper motivations for giving.

Are there any other practical considerations?

At the organizational level, it’s also important to make sure that you are appealing to female donors.

Wetzel recommends evaluating all fundraising systems with an eye toward gender, including prospect research and management, portfolio reviews, and setting up meetings. For example, this may involve redesigning the organization’s database to track women’s giving separately, or ensuring that female members of the household are included in meetings and communications.

Finally, organizations should assess their makeup and image. Both Pactor and Wetzel recommend that organizations evaluate their leadership to make sure that it includes women. In addition, all communications should be inclusive of potential donors, particularly when it comes to photos. If women don’t see other women in the organization or its communications, they may decide to give elsewhere.