Women and Philanthropy: A Literature Review (2009)

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, women have emerged on the philanthropic landscape as a visible and bold presence. They are changing the face of philanthropy and are transforming society around the world. Today’s reality is that women, strengthened by increasing economic power and education, are as likely as men to be philanthropists. Yet, the body of research literature on women’s philanthropic giving is lagging behind the reality of what is happening in practice around the world. Recently, however, interest in understanding how and why women give has gotten underway—particularly over the past decade--prompting researchers to examine gender issues in philanthropy from new angles. These research findings suggest that a more proactive, strategic engagement of women in philanthropy will unleash new human and financial resources for the public good.