5 Trends in Women's Philanthropy

Remarks by WGC Executive Director Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz at the WGC's March 6, 2024 Annual Celebration & Pink Party

As we get ready to hear from our incredible panel on the topic of how philanthropy can and is supporting women’s rights, I want to help frame the conversation by highlighting 5 key trends we are seeing right now in women’s philanthropy.

Several weeks ago, our friends and partners at the Womens’ Philanthropy Institute (WPI) of Indiana University hosted a webinar to look into a crystal ball and discuss what members of the giving community believe is coming our way in the coming year.

Here are the five key trends they identified:

1. The Rise of Younger Women Donors. We are in the midst of one of the greatest transfers of wealth in history. Baby Boomers accumulated an unprecedented amount of wealth in their lives, and now that they are aging that wealth will be passed on. The daughters and granddaughters of the Boomers stand to inherit the “majority of this wealth”. And when women have more, they give more. Also millions of Gen Z women are moving into positions of leadership in philanthropy.
2. Women Donors and Recipients in Conflict Zones. As is usually the situation, women and girls are disproportionately affected by war and armed conflict. These conflicts come at a time when women are often “leading the charge” in donating and lobbying on these issues across the board.
3. Climate Change and the Environment. The results of climate degradation are already becoming all-too familiar. Once again, women and girls are disproportionately affected by these changes.
4. Feminist Philanthropy and Gender Equity. The need for greater empowerment of women in the decision-making process is ongoing. Women are seeking a more emphatic voice in the creation of Sustainable Development Goals, especially now in the wake of recent rulings by the US Supreme Court.
5. Politics, Democracy, and the Election Cycle. Of course 2024 is a presidential election year and many of the issues have major implications for women, reproductive rights perhaps being at the forefront. 

The Women’s Giving Circle will continue to obtain important research, use data, build partnerships, and strengthen relationships to fund women and girls, and to support women’s rights.

​We thank our partners at the Women's Philanthropy Institute for their important research that informs our work.

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