GivingTuesday highlights the ways women’s philanthropy is changing.

More women give. But women give less. And the causes and organizations strictly benefiting women and girls receive a tiny percentage overall. That needs to change.

Yes, women are more frequent givers, as 65% of donors on GivingTuesday are women, according to Forbes. But the sites and causes that cater to women and girls earn less than 2% of all donations in the U.S., according to Philanthropy Women.

“More women give. But women give less. And the causes and organizations strictly benefiting women and girls receive a tiny percentage overall. That needs to change. #philanthropy #GivingTuesday”

Why the disparity?

“The Women & Girls Index released by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, finds that while charitable giving to women’s and girls’ organizations in the U.S. increased by 9.2% in 2020, growth of support for women and girls was lower than the rate of growth in overall charitable giving in 2020 (11.3%),” the report shows.

GivingTuesday was co-founded in 2012 by Asha Curran, when she was Chief Innovation Officer and director of the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at 92nd Street Y. Now CEO, Curran launched it as a separate entity. In an interview in 2022 with Take The Lead, Curran says, “It is really powerful to feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves.”

With more than 240 giving communities in the U.S. alone, GivingTuesday raised more than $2.7 billion in the U.S. on the one Tuesday after Thanksgiving in 2021. GivingTuesday is a unique model of funding and community-based philanthropy in 90 countries, raising an estimated total of $10 billion over the last 10 years.

“#GivingTuesday is a unique model of funding and community-based #philanthropy in 90 countries, raising an estimated total of $10 billion over the last 10 years.”

“Generosity is a basic, positive human value. In today’s climate, it is a tremendously undervalued tool for depolarization,” Curran says.

“There is a real leadership element to GivingTuesday,” Curran said. “Whether it is in their careers or joining to do one thing at a time, we describe ourselves as leaderfull.”

There is a gender difference in giving, and a gender difference in receiving for projects and organizations.

A 2017 study shows, “A few reasons women are more likely than men to give on #GivingTuesday include differences in how they use social media and technology, and how they participate in collaborative giving.”

The causes most likely to benefit women and girls are related to reproductive health and family planning. increased contributions to women’s and girls’ human services organizations and decreased contributions to women’s and girls’ sports and recreation.

The good news, according to Philanthropy Women, is contributions to family and gender-based violence organizations rose by 17.9% between 2019 and 2020. Yet, women’s and girls’ organizations saw a 10.1% increase from government grants from 2019 to 2020, but far below the 36.6% growth seen by charitable organizations.

“The good news, according to @Philanthrowomen, is contributions to family and gender-based violence organizations rose by 17.9% between 2019 and 2020. #GivingTuesday”

At the recent conference for women in philanthropy hosted by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, with 22 women leaders in philanthropy, they were ”united by a shared purpose: to forge an empowering community of women chief executives to exchange and cross-pollinate ideas, share experiences, and explore collaborative opportunities.”

According to the conference summary, “The women passionately dissected the gendered expectations imposed on women leaders in the philanthropy sector, advocating for change and balance. Given the consensus that gender biases hinder effective leadership, these leaders noted the need for continued work to break down barriers that limit women’s advancement and influence in philanthropy.”

One goal of the group was to mentor and inspire the next generation of leaders. Indeed, giving not only has gender differences, but also generational differences.

Wealth Management recently issued a report, The Changing Dynamics of Women and Charitable Giving, Investing, and found, “Younger women are taking initiative to leverage their wealth in line with their values in ways women in previous generations have not. Based on the world events these generations have witnessed, as they reach an age and position in life that allows them to prioritize charitable giving, next gen women tend to be extremely altruistic, although in a different way than previous generations.”

Considering the gaps in giving, how can leaders in nonprofits, businesses and organizations shift to embrace more actions that will benefit causes for women and girls?

“Considering the gaps in giving, how can leaders in #nonprofits, businesses and organizations shift to embrace more actions that will benefit causes for women and girls? #GivingTuesday”

Seek celebrity endorsements. This is one approach to augment giving to a certain cause. If you have access to a well-known name, or even a local celebrity, the association can go a long way. According to Forbes, “Angelina Jolie’s work with the United Nations Refugee Organization has received a significant amount of exposure for the plight of refugees. Harry Styles and Lizzo brought attention to Planned Parenthood at a time when many women were losing their right to abortion.” And anything Taylor Swift endorses reaps benefits. “Critics of celebrity philanthropy argue that the involvement of famous people is often detrimental to these causes, and their efforts, which are often publicized on social media, promote consumption and capitalism, and turn complex issues into spectacle and theater,” Forbes reports.

Use social media adroitly. Refine the message across platforms and make sure your message is appealing, correct and reaches a broad audience. Consider using TikTok or Instagram to gather speed on your message. Create a hashtag that is memorable and unique.

“Use #socialmedia adroitly. Refine the message across platforms and make sure your message is appealing, correct and reaches a broad audience. #GivingTuesday”

Engage younger audiences to donate their time and volunteer. GivingTuesday Spark is “led by a squad of young do-gooders aged 6-21 from all over the world, and is all about encouraging young people to take action around the causes they care about most on GivingTuesday and every day,” according to the GivingTuesday site. Offering ideas, resources for teachers, families and communities, GivingTuesday can help you achieve this.

Align with brands or local businesses. If you have a possible connection with a larger brand or want to approach a local retailer or business, enlist their assistance in your cause and mission. According to WWD, “Retailers participating in GivingTuesday with special promotions, proceeds or cash-back offers going toward charitable and philanthropic causes include Amazon, Maurices, L.L. Bean, Rue21, Jared, Michael Kors, Omaze, Lilly Pulitzer, Marrow Fine, Foot Locker, Zales, Vanity Planet and Kay Jewelers.”

Collaborate with other causes. Work together with similar organizations to double up on calls for donations, and share the benefits. There is strength in likeminded leadership. According to Rockefeller’s Philanthropy Women study, “Participants recognized the importance of empowering grassroots groups through funding and organizing efforts, effectively challenging powerful interests, and achieving policy changes that benefit the communities they serve.”

“Collaborate with other causes. Work together with similar organizations to double up on calls for #donations, and share the benefits. #GivingTuesday”

Recognize that giving is changing. Patterns and systems that were reliable a generation ago may no longer be optimal. According to the GivingTuesday site, “Within the philanthropic sector, many organizations are shifting to a more collaborative approach of providing support to communities by emphasizing solidarity and reciprocity while addressing challenges through shared efforts. By relying on voluntary participation and operating on the principle of collective action, mutual aid groups can provide a way for nonprofits to collaborate with grassroots actors to increase their overall impact while promoting equity and inclusivity.”

Click here to donate to Take The Lead on Giving Tuesday.

Leadership Takeaway of The Week:

“There is a real leadership element to GivingTuesday. Whether it is in their careers or joining to do one thing at a time, we describe ourselves as leaderfull.”—Asha Curran, co-founder and CEO of GivingTuesday.

““There is a real leadership element to GivingTuesday. Whether it is in their careers or joining to do one thing at a time, we describe ourselves as leaderful.”—@RadioFreeAsha, co-founder and CEO of #GivingTuesday. ”

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com