Women Drive Philanthropy in the US

For one thing, women were asked more often. The report extrapolates that increased asks lead to a higher rate of giving.

In addition, women are likelier to use social media, which are designed to build connections and maintain relationships. The report said social media fundraising campaigns proliferate person-to-person appeals for donations, so people with extensive online networks are likelier to be solicited for donations of money or time.

Women also participate more in collaborative giving and distribute their giving more broadly, the institute’s previous research has shown. Estimates suggest that friends asking their peers to donate increases the likelihood of giving by 10 times more than other solicitation methods, and online fundraising tools can raise six times more than offline tools.

Women tend to use their cellphones more. The report cited a survey of college students that found women spent more time on their phones than men, and tended to use their cellphones as a social and communicative tool when accessing the internet.

Another study showed that mobile-responsive donation sites yielded 34% more donations than those incompatible with mobile devices, and text donors were most likely to be married women between the ages of 49 and 59 who have college degrees.

Finally, women volunteer more than men, and volunteers are the most likely individuals to give, according to the report. This may be because these individuals are already engaged and have already invested time into the organization, it said.

“This study provides further proof that women are driving charitable giving in the U.S.,” Debra Mesch, director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, said in a statement. “We know now that men and women use technology differently to give to the causes that matter to them.

“As more nonprofits are using digital means to interact with donors, they should consider these gender differences in their fundraising strategies.”