Girls Are More Likely to Support Charities Using Social Medua

Interesting article in today's Chronicle of Philanthropy

February 24, 2011, 11:20 am

By Derek Lieu

A new study by the charity World Vision finds that more than half of teenage girls said they had become more aware of the needs of others as a result of using social networks like Facebook and Twitter, while less than a third of boys said the same thing.

Out of a survey group of more than 500 youngsters ages 13 to 17, 41 percent of girls said they interact with charities online by “liking” Facebook pages and following Twitter profiles, compared with 27 percent of boys.

Fifty-one percent of girls said they had become more aware of the needs of others as a result, while just 38 percent of boys said that.

As expected, the study found high overall levels of social media use: Four out of five teenagers surveyed said they used social networks.

World Vision sponsored the study to coincide with its annual 30 Hour Famine, scheduled for February 25-26, in which teenagers fast for 30 hours to raise money for global poverty. The event, which raised $10.4-million dollars last year, has set a goal of $11-million for 2011. World Vision expects 200,000 participants.

The study was conducted online by Harris Interactive in January.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=thirty+hour+famine&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

"The Charity Divide: Study Shows Women More Generous Givers than Men"

There's a great article in the Friday, February 11 Time magazine about the recent study by the Women's Philanthropy Institute.  Dr. Debra Mesch, the director of the institute is quoted.  She says, "It is not just the older white males [giving], we are seeing women really growing in terms of philanthropy." The study is titled "Women Give 2010."

It is a wonderful lead up to the international symposium, "Women World Wide Leading Through Philanthropy," to be held in Chicago, March 10 and 11 sponsored by the Center on Philanthropy.  We are pleased that the second Shaw-Hardy Taylor Achievement Award will be presented by Martha Taylor at the symposium .