The Evolution of Women’s Philanthropy

A longitudinal study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute covering two decades indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic reversed long-standing trends in charitable giving and presented new challenges for female donors and the nonprofit organizations they support.

The institute, based at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, analyzed giving patterns among women and men from 2000 to 2020. The study situates its findings within the broader context of societal and economic shifts and the growing importance of women’s incomes to family economic stability.

It showed that these trends, coupled with the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on women, have reshaped how women engage in philanthropy over 20 years.

“Women donors demonstrate extraordinary resilience and adaptability, even in the face of unprecedented challenges,” Jacqueline Ackerman, WPI’s interim director, said in a statement. “Women’s giving not only supports immediate needs but also addresses systemic issues, making them key drivers of the future of philanthropy.”

Key Research Findings About the Evolution of Women's Philanthropy

The “declining donors” phenomenon — fewer households giving, but higher amounts from those who do — is true for both men and women from 2000 to 2020, according to the study regarding the evolution of women's philanthropy. That decline, though, started later and was less pronounced for single women than for single men.

From 2000 to 2020, single men’s giving to charity decreased from 53.2% to 32.9%, while single women’s giving fell from 56.4% to 41.7%.

While the average dollar amount given by donor households held relatively steady between 2000 and 2020, single women’s giving increased both overall and to secular causes during the pandemic period, compared with single men’s giving, demonstrating the evolution of women's philanthropy.

Single women’s donations rose from an average of $1,525 in 2000 to $2,225 in 2020, while men's donations grew from $1,415 to $1,662.

For most of the time period studied to gain insight into the evolution of women's philanthropy, the average giving amounts to secular causes was relatively stable but shifted dramatically in 2020. It declined just before the pandemic’s onset, and then rose higher than ever for single women during the crisis. The rise was less dramatic for single men.