The Center on Philanthropy and Patrick Rooney Discuss the Importance of Women's Philanthropy

Patrick Rooney

In the Center on Philanthropy's recent publication of Philanthropy Matters, I was delighted to see a piece hailing the future of women's philanthropy by the Center's executive director, Patrick Rooney. The Women's Philanthropy Institute and women everywhere are so very fortunate to have a great university like the Center at the University of Indiana, do much needed academic research into women's giving and how to change the ways people think about women's philanthropy. The Center and the Women's Philanthropy Institute are involved in two upcoming conferences about women's philanthropy and are are listed on the right side of this blog.

Here is just the beginning of all the important and credible things Patrick had to say.  You can read the rest of the editorial by going to the current issue of Philanthropy Matters.


What Matters: Philanthropy's Tipping Point

Dated: Aug 24, 2010
If I had a crystal ball, I’d say women’s philanthropy is likely to be one of the prevailing issues of the 21st century for the nonprofit sector. Despite greater awareness and the fact that the trajectory of women’s philanthropy is escalating exponentially, we haven’t reached the tipping point or begun to realize the benefits of women’s giving capacity, participation and leadership. The research unquestionably shows that women have the desire, drive and capacity to give, but society and nonprofit professional practice have yet to catch up.
Women’s philanthropic clout is clear. Women are driving social change, and changing philanthropy in the process.

Universities Teach us to be Critical Thinkers

Dr. Connie Curran

From Contributor Martha Taylor


A real joy in life is meeting new women philanthropists. I had the
pleasure of meeting Dr. Connie Curran recently in Chicago. Dr. Curran is one of the leading health care professionals in the country. She has
founded three companies and held a variety of executive positions in
academic and academic health care organizations. She is also one of the
most prolific scholars in the field with more than 200 publications and
several research programs to her credit. 


One of the most inspiring aspects of her life is her philanthropy.  She is active with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as a trustee for DePaul University. She believes in the power of higher education. Dr. Curran said at a recent event: "When we think of our lives and what has influenced us to be successful human beings, we must look at our university education that taught us how to be critical thinkers and gave us good lives. It is important for us to think of giving back, by making a gift that is meaningful." She is a role model in her own giving to higher education and other non profits.

Institutionalizing Women's Philanthropy: Creating a Critical Mass

Lesley Stahl
WOWOWOW

More and more websites are dedicated to women and women's issues such as It's All About Women and WOWOWOW started by such luminary names as Lesley Stahl, Jean Chatzky, Liz Smith, Candice Bergen, Lily Tomlin and Marlo Thomas.  Both sites are very interesting and provide a great deal of information ranging from money to relationships.  However, neither prominently mentions women's philanthropy.  In fact, WOWOWOW has a heading called "Sheconomics" which has five subcategories: earn, grow, invest, save, and spend.  Nothing about give.

I thought about this and decided to write the two sites and strongly suggest they add the category of philanthropy.  In our new book, Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, Debra Mesch and Andrea Pactor from the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, suggest that in order for women's philanthropy to become institutionalized, a critical mass needs to be formed.  What better advocates for creating a critical mass of women philanthropists and all that would mean, than websites devoted to women?  I applaud both sites in that other than the ads, they do not focus on fashion and makeup.  But wouldn't it be nice if they advocated an outcome of women's issues?  An outcome that will change the world because of the different ways women give.

As a sample of what to say, here is a modified version of what I wrote: 

I very much enjoy your website and glad to see it devoted solely to topics of interest to women.  And in that vein, I hope that you will add philanthropy as one of your topics.  Women's philanthropy is a leading topic of the day as women control more money, earn more money, give away more money, and influence couple giving.   

Based on research from the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, women's philanthropy is quite different from men's and women's way of giving is becoming the norm in philanthropy, as women set out to create a better world.  

Your support of women’s philanthropy is crucial as a major factor in women’s lives and that of people all over the world.  Please help create a critical mass of women as philanthropists and institutionalize women's philanthropy, by recognizing it as a separate and very important topic for your website.

PS
On my August 23 blog, I wrote about Bolder Giving receiving $650,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Anne Ellinger from Bolder Giving informs me that there is more to the story: in order to receive the money, Bolder Giving must match the grant by raising $200,000 annually in a three year challenge.  Anne said she wanted people to know that as wonderful as the support is, they still need your contributions.

The "Joy" of Knowing Joy

Joy Picus

I thank the Internet for my friendship with philanthropist and former Los Angeles City Council member, Joy Picus.  We have corresponded for at least ten years and Joy has always surprised me with choice articles from the West Coast about women and philanthropy.  We have also shared our latest activities and I am still trying to get her to write her memoir using my daughter, Heather Shaw’s, Write/Memory. 

Her latest gift and project is a the Joy Picus Child Development Center in downtown Los Angeles.  Because of our respect, admiration and love for this woman, Joy is prominently mentioned in our new book, Women and Philanthropy, as a philanthropist, leader in raising funds for Jewish causes, and a supporter of political candidates. 

When Joy emailed me that she had been asked by the Women's Foundation of California to write on its blog, I was delighted.  Her stories under the title, “Women are Changing Philanthropy," are priceless as to how she became a philanthropist (working with Martha Taylor) and how she managed with the “old boys” as part of the Women's Philanthropy Council at the University of Wisconsin Foundation.

Kudos Joy.  We look forward to many more of your writings and wisdom.

Melinda Gates Says Bolder Giving Was an Impetus for the Billionaire Pledge Campaign

Anne and Christopher
Ellinger

June 25 I wrote on this blog about Boston couple, Anne and Christopher Ellinger's Bolder Giving effort to raise money from people across the economic spectrum to think about how to donate a higher percentage of their assets and become effective philanthropists who can inspire and collaborate with others.  Well, yesterday's Seattle Times says that Melinda Gates has credited Bolder Giving, started in 2007,  with being an impetus behind the campaign to persuade the world’s billionaires to commit at least half of their fortunes to charity.  Im early May, the small three-year-old organization  got a call from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "out of the blue" with an offer to support its work.  Six weeks later Bolder Giving received a $675,000 grant from the foundation to expand its reach.


Congratulations Anne and Christopher and if you haven't yet made the Bolder Giving pledge, please do so soon as a tribute to the Ellingers and a way to bring more joy into your life and others through philanthropy.

A Story of Faith, Hope and Love

"Dreams in Her Eyes"

I was researching the Atlanta Women's Foundation in preparation for a gathering there on September 23 where I am speaking and I found a wonderful video called "Dreams in Her Eyes."  It was a gift to the Foundation from the Turner Broadcasting system and I can't describe how moving it was.  The music was beautiful and the photos haunting and memorable.  The video made you aware of the issues but also provided hope.  I was totally captivated. Some of the phrases that especially resonated with me were:

• "there are dreams in every woman's face"
• "stories in her eyes"
• "by supporting the Atlanta Women's Foundation, it well may change our own story as well"

Beautiful, beautiful and you can watch it by going to the Atlanta Women's Foundation website.

Congratulations Joyce Miles, Martha Taylor and Women for Florida State

I first met Joyce (pictured left) at Purdue University when we both were speaking at a conference for the College of Consumer and Family Sciences.  Since then our paths have crossed several times and she has always been a strong advocate for women and philanthropy initiatives at universities.  Her latest success is Florida State University.  Knowing from Martha Taylor (on the right) and others, the benefits of women's philanthropy initiatives to both women as donors and universities, Joyce, as a donor, has been working on helping establish a program at FSU for several years.  She even arranged for me to do a focus group and speak to their board and administration a few years ago (sometimes it takes a while for a program to get underway).  But most of all, it takes a Joyce to spearhead it.

Joyce just sent me to their new website and I am delighted to welcome Women for Florida State into the consortium of over forty universities with women and philanthropy initiatives.  The importance of these programs cannot be overemphasized.  They not only identify and provide additional funding for universities, but more importantly, they help women develop leadership opportunities and have a say in how and where universities allocate their donations.  My friend and colleague Martha Taylor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison knew that when she helped launch the first women's philanthropy initiative (Women's Philanthropy Council) at a public university in 1988 and she has been a leader ever since.

Here is what FSU says about why it formed "The Women for Florida State:"

• increase awareness of opportunities for women to stay actively engaged in life at the university;
• educate the community on the vital role women play in the past, present and future of Florida State;
• mentor the next generation of women leaders and philanthropists;
• provide a vehicle for members to communicate effectively;
• and recognize and celebrate accomplishments of the women of Florida State.

I love not only the concept of course, but the website and the way it features photos of "now and then" and connects with women.  Be sure to check it out and thank you Martha for the original concept and Joyce for its fulfillment.

Women & Co. and the Nine C's of Women's Philanthropy

Linda Descano, president of Women & Co.

I am pleased to share with you what Citibank's Women & Co. currently has on their website and will be publishing in their August print newsletter, Wisdom, Wealth and Giving, focusing on women and philanthropy.  The title of the article is The Nine C's of Women's Philanthropy which can be accessed by clicking on the title.  They have asked me to be a contributor to Women & Co. and I am honored to do so.  I'm already planning my next column about "bold and audacious" women givers.


The Women & Co. website is a superb resource for women to learn more about family and money, life stages & planning, estate and legacy, credit, financing education, insurance & long term care, real estate, retirement, taxes and of course, philanthropy.  Everything you need to know is all right there and easy to maneuver around and work with.

Linda Descano is the president of Women & Co. and I interviewed her for our new book, Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World.  In the book she says that women are self-identifying themselves as Chief Financial Officers of their families and as positive role models.  She says, "They have taken on a much broader role and are shaping their families financial values: one of those is giving back.  They are looking at how to align their investments with their philanthropy.  How to be more strategic philanthropists and get their kids involved."

If you haven't already looked at Women & Co's. website, I urge you to do so.  It's chock full of great information and stories about women and philanthropy as well as very readable and interesting financial advice.