As we approach the holidays and a time of giving, it’s important to highlight how philanthropy contributes to our social good. In 2021, we saw a surge in philanthropic giving, most notably MacKenzie Scott’s $8.5 billion “giving spree,” which stimulated conversations about how women are shaping the future of philanthropy.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently hosted an online conversation that explored the ways women may shape the future of giving. The key take-away: women donors consistently seek partnerships based on trust, and focus on developing long-term partnerships with the charities they support.
As Abby Falik, the Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, put it: “They [women] will donate when they see a nonprofit’s potential to carry out a mission they care about. Women’s approach to giving is a departure from that of many men, who tend to be more interested in the transactional nature of their charitable giving.”
Leaders in the philanthropy world applauded Scott’s method of giving unrestricted gifts with few reporting requirements and optimistically predict we will see more of this kind of giving in the decade ahead. “Women don’t simply want to write a check,” explained Jeannie Sager, Director of The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University, in a recent story in the New York Times. “The relationship building is important to them and they’re motivated by the stories of the people being served.”
November is known to most people as the month of elections, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday – and this year it also marks the start of Hanukkah. But for nonprofit organizations like ours, November is also important because it includes National Philanthropy Day and Giving Tuesday. As we celebrate giving thanks and coming together with loved ones, let us also take the time to show our support for the organizations we care most about.
