Charitable giving trends change like the seasons, and if you’re a nonprofit, you should try your best to stay alert to these changes, constantly tweaking your strategies so that your mission reaches the most potential supporters. One trend that particularly caught my eye, has been steadily emerging, with no indication of slowing down anytime soon. That trend is the rise of the female donor.
Some of the leading research on this topic comes from Women Give 2014, a study from the IUPUI School of Philanthropy that found some interesting trends. First, fewer individuals are affiliated with organized religion, which is important because this affiliation has long been a key influencing factor in where and how much people give. The study found that this disassociation does not necessarily correlate with decreased giving however.
- 64% percent of all charitable gifts are made by women.
- Gifts from single women under 30 who are not affiliated with a religion were roughly 2x larger than those from women who are affiliated but who infrequently attend religious services.
- These gifts were also 2x larger than those given from men in the same category.
- Middle-aged and older women gave 2.5x less than their younger counterparts.
Further research on the topic dispels even more myths about women’s charitable giving. Women were found to give more than men in almost every income bracket. Not only do they give more, women give differently from men. While men were found to be more likely to give to one institution and take a less hands-on role in the process, women were far more likely to spread their donations around to multiple different causes, and to be more actively involved in the boards and committees of the organizations they give to. So how do you, as a nonprofit, take advantage of this growing trend?
Go for the girls. Consider a donation campaign targeted towards women donors, or at the very least make sure your current marketing is female-friendly. Women Give 2014 found that one of the driving factors in the correlation between religion and charitable giving is the aspect of a social community. Religious or not, your supporters are still connected to a powerful social community with massive potential for giving, social media! Use this medium to emphasize how your organization helps others (a major consideration for women making donations) and share your content to spread the word.
Ladies are social. Religious or not, your supporters are still connected to a powerful social community with massive potential for giving; social media! Use this medium to emphasize how your organization helps others (a major consideration for women making donations) and share your content to spread the word. Women use social media more than men according to Entreprenuer (and many other sources).
Tools aren’t just for men. When fundraising, all your supporters need the right tools and women are no exception. Social and mobile fundraising tools, like Boundless Fundraising™ allow women (and their male counterparts) raise more during peer-to-peer events. It not only increases their dollars raised, but it combines their love of social media and charitable causes, giving them a more enjoyable fundraising experience, which can increase your year-over-year retention!
Our development team, here at Charity Dynamics looked at the sense of community that is present within peer-to-peer events and social media channels when we created Boundless Fundraising. We saw that in both groups people shared what they were doing and supported one another towards a common goal. The similarities led us to a solution that has helped raise over $350M. The magic of Boundless Fundraising lets peer-to-peer participant fundraisers share their stories and ask for support, while making it easy for friends and family to cheer them on and help them with a donation. Boundless Fundraising is THE tool to increase your year-over-year retention and your participant’s fundraising skills. To learn more, check out this webinar.