Six principles to harness the power of women in philanthropy

Mar 27

Co-authored by Cat Slack, Managing Director, and Jessica Jones, Director, Client Services

—

Women’s influence on charitable giving is on the rise, as is their economic power.

Women are the fastest-growing philanthropic group with wealth and drive philanthropic decisions in most families today. When effectively engaged, they tend to give more than men and differently than men.

According to recent research from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy:

Women are more likely to be motivated philanthropically by empathy for others.
Women were key drivers in four out of 10 households that supported or were actively involved in the 2020 racial justice protests.
61.5% of couples make giving decisions together—a decline from 73.4% in 2005.
When one partner in a household directs philanthropy, it’s more likely to be a woman.
Single women, Black, and LGBTQ+ households are more likely to support social justice causes and organizations.

70% of giving circles are majority-women.

These facts are striking when you consider that women also control roughly 40% of global wealth.

Understanding the giving approaches of women is critical for nonprofits to harness the power and transformational impact that women engaged in philanthropy can have.

Fundraising “best practices” were not created for women. It’s in the change—the doing—where the magic truly happens. As development shops seek to diversify and grow their networks of donors, volunteers, and advocates, it requires actively listening to the women in your community, an introspective look at development practices, and a shift in mindset from traditional fundraising methods. It is the first step toward bringing new voices and new dollars to the table.

When working with women, nonprofits who strategically employ these six principles—originally designed by women’s philanthropy expert Kathleen Loehr and continued in practice by the Women’s Philanthropy Alliance—are achieving their goals faster and are realizing increased and multi-pronged philanthropic investment from this critical constituent group. 

Principle #1: Strategy begins with input

Pausing to learn, while seemingly counter-intuitive, is essential to gain the awareness that effective strategy is dependent upon. Successful organizations resist the urge to jump in, and instead pause to review industry research, their own donor data, and how their practices could better resonate with donors.  

Principle #2: Women’s input is key

The most valuable insights come from donors themselves. Successful organizations ask women about their motivations, preferences, and goals. Organizations that intentionally solicit input discover that women share ideas and strategies that can accelerate fundraising.  

Principle #3: Women give more than money

Women embrace a broad definition of philanthropy. In addition to finances, they bring their talents, time, networks, and voice to the causes they care about. Successful organizations engage women donors, volunteers, and leaders in ways that acknowledge this holistic approach to philanthropy.  

Principle #4: Leadership involvement is pivotal

Successful organizations have leadership involvement that fundamentally alters the path and scope of success. Organizational decision-makers control the vision, strategic priorities, and ability to move resources that allow for real transformation and big outcomes.  

Principle #5: Starting reveals the path forward

Successful organizations realize they are creating something new with few precedents, so they start with a first initiative. They know that the success of their initial women’s philanthropy effort opens up awareness of other areas where women’s support can help their mission flourish.  

Principle #6: The work is evolutionary

Successful organizations know this work is not a “program” with a singular end game. Over time, they integrate practices that lead to significant cultural shifts that engage all donors. This results in more diverse partners and funding to achieve their desired impact.  

—

Organizations that have integrated and fully embraced the power of these principles into their fundraising ethos have seen vastly increased philanthropic investment and constituent engagement.

This shift in mindset is not just to benefit the donors, but also to create a healthier environment for fundraisers. Fundraisers and nonprofit leaders have always wanted to seem like they have it all figured out and present a picture of order and answers to their donors.

Since the murder of George Floyd, however, major donors—particularly women—have shifted from seeking immediate, simple solutions and instead want to understand the root causes of systemic problems. They want to hear in real-time from leaders in the nonprofit space about what has and has not worked to impact social change. They are inviting complex conversations with fundraisers about social problems.

Fundraisers are eager to have these real conversations and are seeking guidance on how to do so. This invitation to complexity can create a way to authentically include donors in the real challenges nonprofits and universities face, reducing the need to “present” and instead simply “be” in the work with your donors. Tailored, sustainable fundraising solutions are needed that center curiosity, imagination, and innovation to effectively spark new fundraising practices that take women and their capacity to give into full account.

But if nothing changes...nothing changes.

Think about the incredible impact that is possible if your donor community reflected the incredible philanthropic capacity that exists among women. For organizations eager to unlock this tremendous potential, Aperio Philanthropy works shoulder-to-shoulder with our nonprofit partners to build sustainable, scalable frameworks that increase bold discovery, engagement, and giving among women—at every level.

Join us to explore and implement ways to increase the immense support that women can bring to your nonprofit’s mission.  