Women are the Main Decision Makers in Philanthropic Giving

There’s a quote in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding that the women in my family love: “The man is the head [of the family], but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.” Apparently this is true when it comes to donating to charities.

According to a press release posted by Business Wire on MarketWatch.com, “In nearly 90 percent of high net worth households, women are either the sole decision maker or an equal partner in decisions about charitable giving, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy, released today. The power and influence of women in philanthropy may mean that some charitable organizations will need to adapt their messaging and strategies to appeal to women’s distinct charitable giving behaviors and motivations.”

These are some of the key findings from this study:

–Women spend more time than men on due diligence before making decisions about giving to a charitable organization.

– Women expect a deeper level of communication with the organizations they support and place greater importance than men on the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and hearing about the impact of their gift.

– Women want to be actively involved with an organization and its mission, with volunteering being among the most important motivations for women to give.

– Women are more likely than men to stop giving to an organization they had previously supported whereas men tend to support the same causes year after year.

Women tend to make more of an emotional investment with their giving and in their budget a portion is marked for a predetermined charity. Women also expect an update of how their giving was used and that it was successful in the project that it was earmarked for.

The study also found that women give to make a difference in the world and to set an example for the next generation. Volunteering tops the reasons why women are motivated to give. Women stop giving if they are pestered too much with solicitations or if the amount that they are asked to give is too high.

It’s a tightrope that non-profits have to walk between appealing to age, sex, financial demographics, communicating without overkill and being heartfelt without being sappy. At least there are a bunch of studies that help to guide charities know who their audience is and what appeals to the masses.

Learn more about Fundly today and how you can use our social fundraising platform to reach women via Facebook and other social networks to garner support and donations for your cause.