Women are Making Household Philanthropic Decisions and Maintaining Giving in the US

Although overall philanthropic giving was down in 2009, it was not as drastic as during the 1974 recession, according to the Giving USA Foundation, chaired by Edith Falk, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The study authors at the Center theorize that charitable giving is in a stronger position now than it was three decades ago and average household giving has increased because:

“The fundraising profession has matured and expanded with greater numbers of people being solicited, and women—who make most philanthropic decisions and who are likely to give more than men with similar incomes—now represent 50 percent of the labor force, providing them with more control of their own resources.”

You can read Giving USA’s press release which provides a three-page overview of the study at Giving USA.