by Caitlin O’Dowd
Last week, I arrived to work to find this month’s Chronicle of Philanthropy on my desk. “Thought you would appreciate this latest issue,” my boss said.
And there it was in all of it’s glory – surrounded by pictures of some of the most powerful philanthropic women of the day read the following title, Why Nonprofits are Slow to Tap the Power of Women.
As a staunch feminist, I find myself frequently in positions where I feel compelled to kindly and diplomatically remind people how the patriarchal structure, gender binarism and certain male-centered cultural narratives frequently work to subjugate women both personally and professionally.
That being said, I have always considered the nonprofit charitable giving/donor space to be a relatively level playing field for both women and men. So you can imagine my surprise when I flipped to page seven and read the following: Primed to Give Big: Women Have the Wealth and Ambition to be a Major Force in Philanthropy – If More Charities Would Change Their Ways.
According to Research by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, female heads of households give more than those headed by males at almost every income level despite making 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns.
Women also give differently than men – seeking a deeper level of involvement in an organization or cause and have a special affinity for communal philanthropy. This is part of the reason why women’s giving circles and affinity groups have been so successful. Impact 100 for example, is a nonprofit organization comprised of women looking to make a difference and maximize charitable giving donations to community-based programs in their immediate area. Women who are interested in joining pledge a minimum donation of $1000 to become a member. Each time the group reaches 100 members, a donation of $100,000 is given to a local nonprofit. The group was started in Cincinnati in 2001 and today, includes 35 national affiliates that give millions in donations every year.
