Gender and Philanthropy

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    Giving by and for Women
    (2018-01-30) O'Connor, Heather; Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Pactor, Andrea; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth; Small, Diana
    In an effort to understand who leads philanthropy that benefits women and girls and how these donors are unique, we embarked on a landmark study of high-net-worth women donors. We wanted to deeply understand giving by and for women, and what, in particular, sets these donors apart. We wanted to understand what these donors hope to achieve, and how others—both men and women—might be inspired to make gender equality a focus of their philanthropy.
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    Gender Differences in #GivingTuesday Participation
    (2017-12-12) Osili, Una; Mesch, Debra; Preston, Linh; Okten, Cagla; Bergdoll, Jonathan; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Pactor, Andrea
    Understanding the role gender plays in philanthropy empowers organizations to engage their donors most effectively and increase their giving. This is true throughout the year and particularly on #GivingTuesday, a day designated to maximize philanthropic giving. Since it began in 2012, #GivingTuesday has grown significantly in participation numbers and total dollars donated. #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, provides a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to incorporate nontraditional fundraising methods into their efforts and to engage with donors online. For nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, a successful #GivingTuesday requires understanding how and where donors tend to give.
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    The Landscape of Giving Circles/Collective Giving Groups in the U.S.
    (2017-11-14) Bearman, Jessica; Carboni, Julia; Eikenberry, Angela; Franklin, Jason
    This research presents an updated understanding of the current landscape of Giving Circles and similar models of collective giving or giving collaboratives in the United States. This research comprises the first of a three-part inquiry, which also looks at research underway related to the impact of participation in GCs on donor giving and civic engagement, and a study of the relationships between GCs and their hosting organizations.
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    Giving to Women and Girls: Who Gives, and Why?
    (2016-05-24) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Pactor, Andrea; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Bergdoll, Jonathan; Dale, Elizabeth
    Within academic research, individual philanthropy directed to women’s and girls’ causes has been understudied. This study highlights new data to understanding who gives to women’s and girls’ causes and their motivations for support. We conducted a two-part, mixed-methods study in the United States. First, we fielded a brief survey among a nationally representative survey panel. Second, we conducted seven focus groups among United Way and women’s fund donors who actively funded women’s and girls’ causes as well as donors who focused on other areas in their giving. In the survey, we find that among people giving to charity, half of women and 40 percent of men self-report giving to at least one cause that primarily affects women and girls. Women are both more likely to give to women’s and girls’ causes and give larger amounts to these causes, and are more likely to report giving to domestic violence organizations, women’s centers, LGBT rights, cancer care and research, and economic opportunities for women and girls. In the focus groups, women report giving to women’s and girls’ causes based on their personal experiences, including experiencing discrimination and having children, and because they believe giving to women and girls provides the best social return. Barriers to giving to women’s and girls’ causes include the complexity and scalability of women’s issues, the sex-segregated nature of women’s giving, and the connection to political issues which are often embedded in women’s causes. While this study provides valuable new research, more research is needed to understand generational differences among donors and how organizations focusing on women and girls can increase donor support.
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    Where Do Men and Women Give? Gender Differences in the Motivations and Purposes for Charitable Giving
    (2015-09) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth
    This study seeks to explore gender differences in the purpose and motivations for charitable giving. We analyze new waves of data from the Philanthropy Panel Study, the Bank of America/U.S. Trust Studies of High Net Worth Philanthropy, and the Million Dollar List to investigate where men and women direct their charitable gifts, the influence of charitable decision making on giving, and why men’s and women’s priorities may differ. We find that generally, women are more likely than men to give to every charitable subsector except neighborhoods and communities and tend to spread their giving out. However, high net worth women exhibit fewer differences in their giving as compared to high net worth men. Women prioritize issues and areas such as women’s rights, human rights, and the environment, while men favor the economy and national security. Finally, we find that women are generally motivated to give by their political or philosophical beliefs or their involvement in an organization.
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    How and Why Women Give: Current and Future Directions for Research on Women’s Philanthropy
    (2015-05) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth
    The purpose of this literature review is to summarize the existing academic research on women, gender, and philanthropy and create a comprehensive picture of what we know about women’s giving and gender differences in giving today. We draw from studies in various academic disciplines that cover more than four decades of research. This research uses a variety of methods, such as surveys, experiments, and institutional data, which can impact study results and may contribute to differences among the findings. An important limitation is that the majority of these studies are U.S.-based, and results may not be generalizable internationally. Additionally, a review such as this also raises questions, debates, and gaps in knowledge, which will help researchers identify crucial questions for future study.
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    Do Women Give More? Findings from Three Unique Data Sets on Charitable Giving
    (2015-09) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth
    This study seeks to explore gender differences in the incidence and amount of charitable giving. We analyze data from three unique data sets: the Philanthropy Panel Study, the Bank of America/U.S. Trust Studies of High Net Worth Philanthropy, and the Million Dollar List to investigate the intra-household factors of income and education on charitable giving overall, and to religious and secular causes. We confirm prior studies finding that single women have a higher likelihood of giving and give a higher average dollar amount than single men, but find no gender differences among high net worth single men and women. Being married increases the likelihood and amount of charitable giving for both men and women. Within married couples, differences in the husbands’ or wives; earned and unearned income influences the likelihood and amount of giving along with where charitable giving is directed. This study uses new waves of data to examine previous, sometimes conflicting findings about gender differences in philanthropy in order to provide a more nuanced view of how women and men give.
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    Serving, Giving, and Leading in the United States: Gender and Philanthropic Commitment in Lions Clubs International
    (2012-01) IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
    Serving, Giving, and Leading in the United States: Gender and Philanthropic Commitment in Lions Clubs International aims to explore the dynamics affecting philanthropic engagement and leadership of Lions Clubs International members in the United States. The data used in this report were part of a larger study that surveyed a random sample of Lions clubs members in 14 selected countries.
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    Gender Differences in Giving Motivations for Bequest Donors and Non-Donors
    (2009-11) Kou, Xiaonan; Han, Hao; Frederick, Heidi; Hirt, Deborah E.
    This study explores gender differences in the inclusion of a charitable provision in one’s will. We found that overall among representative samples of households polled in different regions of the U.S., gender is not a statistically significant predictor of the intent to leave a charitable bequest, after controlling for other factors, such as age, income, and marital status.