By Lindsey Humes, CCS Vice President
Continuing their important research and report published two years ago, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University just released, “Women Give 2012,” focusing on the effect of age and gender on charitable giving, with a focus on giving by Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and older Americans.
Debra Mesch, PhD, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, hosted a conference call this week to preview the report’s key findings for selected leaders in the field of philanthropy. Dr. Mesch noted that, at 76 million strong, Baby Boomers are the largest generation in America today. One of the findings of this third in a series of reports indicates that Boomer and older women are more likely to give to charity and give more than their male counterparts when other factors affecting giving are taken into consideration. Dr. Mesch, and others on the recent call, noted that non-profit organizations today need to be aware of the significant role which women play in supporting charitable causes. Perhaps this finding might challenge perceptions about who is philanthropic?
For a restricted sample of households studied – in the top 25% of permanent income – Baby Boomer and older women give 156% more to charity than men. That’s a significant and important finding of this report.
So many of our non-profit organizations in the U.S. today have large numbers of constituents and donors who are women in the age groups of the Baby Boomers and older generations. Many higher education institutions, for example, have populations of alumnae whose life experiences as Boomers shaped who they are, and how they want to have an impact on the world. Everyone would be well advised to review Women Give 2012, and bring a new focus to thoughtful ways to engage women in volunteering, leading, and giving to charitable organizations.
