Can Women Save Philanthropy?
Philanthropy Today - September 2009
- An article in The New York Times attests that today's female philanthropists are more likely to use their wealth strategically and systematically to aid women in need. "Seventy percent of people living in poverty around the world are women and children," according to Christine Grumm, President and CEO of the Women's Funding Network. "If women have a roof over their heads and a home free of violence, and good and affordable healthcare, then so do children. In the larger picture, it's not just about women, but entire communities. Women are the conduits through which change is made.": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23fob-wwln-t.html?_r=1
- Forbes Magazine states that women's influence in philanthropy cannot be ignored, as women in the U.S. give an average of 3.5% of their wealth to charity, while men give an average of 1.8%. According to the article, from 2004-2006, giving by women's funds grew by 24%, while foundation giving overall grew by 14.8%. The exponential growth of women's funds suggests an increasing acceptance of the idea that philanthropic investments in women and girls can fuel positive change in communities around the world: http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/18/brill-women-philanthropy-intelligent-investing-wealth.html
- According to The Daily Beast, even as charitable giving dries up, some women are giving away more than ever. Sisters Swanee Hunt and Helen LaKelly Hunt's $10 million gift in 2006 challenged other wealthy women to make their own million-dollar gifts, totalling $150 million, for programs to improve the lives of girls and women. The campaign is called Women Moving Millions, an initiative that is supporting over 145 women's foundations across the world: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-17/the-new-female-philanthropists/