Our world is full of challenges and opportunities, and understanding the power and potential of women’s philanthropy is critical to providing solutions for a more just world.
Awareness and knowledge about the power of women’s generosity is collective, including nonprofits dedicated to serving women and girls and their philanthropic donors. Advocacy is not just driven by passion, but also by data, which helps us map where we have been and where we need to go. It helps us focus our efforts on the places where resources are most urgently needed.
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Women’s Philanthropy Institute recently released their annual research report. I am reminded of my own time there as a staff member and the good progress made in advancing support for women’s and girls’ organizations. The journey is inspiring, and there is still much more to be done.
In 2021, a significant milestone was reached with philanthropic support for women’s and girls’ organizations surpassing $10 billion for the first time, according to The Women & Girls Index (WGI) 2024. That is an accomplishment worth celebrating. Despite this increase in giving, these organizations still received less than 2% of all charitable contributions that year.
The WGI serves as a critical tool in our collective efforts to understand and address these gaps. It is the only comprehensive data source that tracks charitable organizations dedicated to supporting women and girls.
When thinking about the collective impact of these charitable organizations, I encourage nonprofits and donors alike to think about the following questions:
- How might we have further research into what motivates people to give to women and girls programs and initiatives?
- How does your organization consider challenge gifts which focus attention and support on these areas and ideas?
- How can corporations, foundations, and individual donors collaborate and focus attention on the impact made when supporting women and girl initiatives?
The work we do today as nonprofit leaders and donors sows seeds for more opportunities and lasting change for generations to come. With compassion, bold action, and data to show us the growth and gaps that need to be filled, we have the power to achieve incredible things together.