The Power of the Purse

How Women's Philanthropy Has Led the Way

2012-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Recently Martha Taylor and I were asked how women's philanthropy has changed the field of philanthropy in the last decade. Such an interesting question and such incredible results. There were so many areas to think about but here are the seven most important changes we believe were initiated by women's philanthropy.

1. Giving circles are an amazing result of women's philanthropy. Spawned from women's bible circles, quilting circles, book circles, and investment clubs, giving circles have been responsible for growing women as philanthropists and for democratizing philanthropy.

2. Understanding one's passion and values have been a result of women's philanthropy and are now a definitive part of developing philanthropists...women and men, which has helped create donor education based around values rather than just numbers.

3. We are proud to say that many women have now moved beyond passion to compassion, and giving to those in need, whether it be women and girls, serious health issues, or other human needs.

4. Women are assuming the responsibility for addressing societal issues and by acknowledging their responsibility to help fund those programs that will make the world a better place.

5. Global giving is an area that women have embraced because they understand that they are global citizens. Women know that what happens anywhere in the world impacts everyone because as Jane Addams said, "I am a resident of Chicago but a citizen of the world." Women's philanthropy has also grown internationally as women in countries from Canada to Liberia understand women's potential to give and responsibility to do so.

6. Women have redefined philanthropic leadership by bringing their values, vision and voice to solve the issues of today. In so doing, women have helped organizations and institutions move beyond building more buildings to creating programs and projects addressing today's problems.

7. Transformational giving or impactful giving has been a result of women saying they didn't want to just put a bandaid on a problem. Women wanted to find out what was causing the problem and solve it through their philanthropy.

We are so proud of what women have accomplished over this last decade. Women have been creative and entrepreneurial problem solvers and, through their increased financial potential and education, they have led the way in philanthropy and continue to do so. Congratulations to all the wonderful women in philanthropy throughout the world.

Wealthy Women Married To Wealthy Men: Their Philanthropy Can Lead the Way

2011-12-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

Women married to wealthy men have often been philanthropic but just as often, their giving has been related to social events and benefits. What Martha, Buffy, and I have always supported, are women considering a couple's money as being their money and equally shared in earning and giving away...thus giving to change the world, even if it's not always comfortable or the norm by doing so. A recent article in the Financial Times shows Melinda Gates as a wonderful role model for us all. She is a strategic philanthropist while at the same time, as a caring woman, always aware of children, other women, and causes that speak to a better, more equitable, sustainable and more generous future.

Doris Buffett and Brenda Biederman Helping People in Need

2011-12-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

When Brenda Biederman started mAIDens of Michigan (mAIDens) in Traverse City, Michigan three years ago, her desire was to help women in need get a helping hand to make a better life for themselves and their families. (mAIDens was the subject of the September 2010 blog).

Thus, it was so satisfying to read the NY Times article, "Donors Weigh the Ideals of Meaningful Giving," in the November 1, 2011 edition because Doris Buffett with her Sunshine Lady Foundation is also focused on helping people in need and empowering them through reading and hearing their stories. Just like Biederman and mAIDens with of course a great deal more money.

Buffett has started programs in maximum-security prisons to help inmates get degrees from accredited colleges and provided education to victims of domestic violence. As with mAIDens, the Sunshine Lady Foundation gets many requests for eyeglasses, tires, teeth, roofs, and refrigerators. Items that we all may take for granted but when we think about it, mean so much to the quality of our lives.

Meeting basic needs to help people change their lives is such a sure sign of women's compassion and generosity. These women are role models for us all. They represent large and small communities (Omaha, Nebraska and Traverse City, Michigan) and show that caring women all over the country can use their money to create special ways to express their philanthropy.

If you know of a woman in your community who is doing something very special with her philanthropy to help those in need, please let me know and she will be featured in this blog as well.

"Daughters of the Declaration: How Women Social Entrepreneurs Built the American Dream"

2011-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Professor, author and former college president, Claire Guadiani has been a very strong supporter of women and philanthropy and we greatly appreciate all she has done, particularly in pointing out how women's past contributions have changed society and created national prosperity.

Her new book with her husband, David Burnett, Daughters of the Declaration, makes it clear that women have always been on the cutting edge of dealing with the social issues of today; that women have used their entrepreneurship to create America's unique not-for-profit, or social profit sector. And that women's idealism and optimism have played a major role in the increasing prosperity of our nation.

In the book, she points out, "…the notion that the great industrialists created America’s social profit sector is simply wrong. It suggests that citizen responsibility for building a just society was led by very wealthy, politically connected men…: In fact, the social profit sector was developed not by the great men of industry, but by women….long before the “robber barons” created foundations and universities bearing their names. Women did so before elected officials defined a meaningful role for government in such matters as public health, education, workplace safety, or the ownership of slaves. Women began this work at a time when they were not even entitled to own property or inherit wealth."

Now women have not only the natural instincts to deal with the social issues of today, we have the money and the clout as well. We are positioned, as never before in history, to make a huge difference with not only our time and our feelings of responsibility, but with our money as well. As Claire has said in the past, "We are the generation of women the world has been waiting for. We should do more than soak up the good life to make up for what others did for us in the past."

This new book shows us what women have done in the past and against all odds. The odds are now in our favor and it is up to us to show what we can do to make the world a better place, one by one and together.

Preparing to Launch a Women’s Philanthropy Program

2011-11-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

With so much interest shown in developing women's philanthropy initiatives, it was time to include the following material written by my co-author and blog contributor, Martha Taylor, vice president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation. Martha says:

"Before starting or expanding a women’s philanthropy program, make sure you have the following components to ensure your success.

1. Staff and management commitment. One or ideally two (or more) staff members envision the role of a women’s program at the institution and decide to take it on as a project. Some organizations have formalized an internal “women’s philanthropy task force” and involved several staff persons. Management needs to endorse exploring the effort and back it up later with staff and budget.

2. Core group of women volunteer leadership and major donors. Before beginning a program, seek the input of a core group of women volunteer leaders and donors. Brainstorm with them about how to engage women with your institution.

3. Clear vision, mission, goals and values. The program will succeed long term if it has a well defined mission, vision, goals and values—all standard good practices in a development office. Volunteer leaders and staff work together to formulate goals and objectives. You should know how many women are giving to your organization, how much and at what giving level.

4. Business plan and evaluation method. Develop a business plan and analysis of how the program will fit into your development operation. This internal analysis includes benchmarking to assess your progress.

5. Organizational culture that supports women’s giving. Complete an internal audit concerning your operations, the role of women in your organization, the potential of women as an audience. Standard operating procedures in the organization should respect women and women’s perspectives."

Martha A. Taylor, Vice President, University of Wisconsin Foundation

From Woman and Philanthropy: Bolding Shaping a New World

Generations, Gender and Generosity

2011-11-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to have been part of the celebration of the Women's Philanthropy Council of the University of Wisconsin Foundation's tenth biennial forum on philanthropy"Generations, Gender and Generosity." My dear friend and colleague, Martha Taylor helped establish the Council twenty three years ago and it was the first women's philanthropy initiative at a public university.

The day opened with my moderating a four member panel of women of different generations discussing their philanthropy. As you might imagine, the women did have some differences in their approach to philanthropy: Gen Y said she had no trouble approaching her friends for money while the others found asking friends to be somewhat difficult. But most of the approaches to giving were very similar, despite the difference in ages from 21 years to 93 years.

When asked what they felt their responsibilities were as philanthropic leaders, the women said to educate others so they know how to give back, and to lead by example and not give anonymously.

I asked about the values they wanted to pass on to the next generation and they said making a difference, the responsibility to put philanthropy to its best use, compassion and giving to things that touch the heart.

As for the panel's expectations from giving a gift, the answers were knowing how the gift was used, that their gift was earmarked and not for the general fund, and looking at their contribution in the same way as when making a new investment; they want an accounting.

When the discussion turned to how they like to be asked for a gift, they said through the use of stories and knowing there will be collaboration with others.

And finally, we talked about where philanthropy is headed. The responses were that more people will be giving locally as compared to giving to large institutions, and that philanthropy will become even more important with government cutbacks.

One panel member closed the session with the inspiring comment about the cup half full and half empty story and said what we really must do is give our cup to others to drink. Her statement was a fine conclusion to the day's atmosphere of giving back, giving to basic needs, compassion, and generosity that was in abundance at the day long forum.

Couple Philanthropy: Laurene Powell Jobs

2011-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

We have long known about the influence that Melinda Gates has on the Gates' giving. And now comes the news about Laurene Powell Jobs and Steve Jobs. Steve has often been criticized for not being philanthropic or taking part in the billionaire "Giving Pledge." But, at his death the truth comes out. Jobs' wife, Laurene Powell Jobs is a remarkable philanthropist whose husband supported what she did and turned all philanthropy over to her.

She was quiet about her philanthropy but has consistently backed education reform and women's issues. In 1997 she co-founded an educational reform organization called College Track and has become a leader in education policy, advising nonprofits and politicians. The Jobs family has quietly donated millions of dollars to College Track, combining money with Laurene's work.

True to the "Connection" part of our 6 C's of motivations for women's giving: Laurene said about the College Track program, "this is important enough that I am not going to just write a check--I am going to build with my own hands an infrastructure that can help students go to college." The program has trained more than 1,000 students, 90% of whom went on to a four-year college.

Her most recent philanthropic endeavor was to establish a broader organization called the Emerson Collective to work with a range of entrepreneurs to advance domestic and international social reform efforts. It is called the Emerson Collective because its name is based on Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance," and the organization believes in "empowering the individual by giving them tools to live a productive life."

Laurene's influence was also felt at Apple when the company, this past spring, established a program to collect first-generation iPads to be donated to Teach for America corps members.

She has appeared at Clinton's Global Initiative and made a trip to the Congo last year and invested in the Eastern Congo Initiative.

Another huge example of how women are influencing couple giving and defining philanthropy. Steve Jobs changed the world through his entrepreneurship. We can't wait to see the difference Laurene Powell Jobs will make on the world through her philanthropy.

A Challenge to Non-Profits: Invest in Women

2011-09-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about how much of your organization's portfolio is invested in international stocks? Despite a volatile US market and the problems with the European stock market, I guarantee you probably have at least 20% in international investments. And that's without including US companies that have overseas operations.

So, if you have 20% of your investments in global stocks, shouldn't you also be giving 20% of your grants abroad? And where should those grants be made? Author and New York columnist Nicholas Kristoff says, “The world is awakening to a powerful truth: women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution.”

Corporations are beginning to understand what Kristoff is saying. At President Clinton's annual philanthropy event, Merck, announced a $500-million commitment over the next decade to help reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth. The company will be working with Save the Children, among other groups.

The Exxon Mobil Foundation is giving $1.5-million to the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to study how mobile-phone technology can help women entrepreneurs strengthen their business.

And Ford, Nike, NoVo and William and Flora Hewlett foundations announced a new partnership to reduce the number of girls who are forced into marriages before the age of 18.

Major corporations are taking the initiative, but ask yourselves, do you have women's health, business, or agricultural programs abroad to which you can give more funding? Or can you initiate a cultural exchange, a women's art or music program? One that would include a partner project with your non-profit.

Think about it and invest in women globally. Lead the way with non-profits: organizations and institutions. Partner with corporations. The possibilities are endless. And the outcome guaranteed.

Giving by African American Women

2011-09-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Michele Minter

I interviewed Michele Minter, formerly with Princeton University and now vice president for development at the College Board for our book, Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, and she had some very interesting observations about giving by women of color, in particular, African American women.

Minter pointed out that women are not a homogeneous group. "Although the strength of race and gender affiliation in philanthropy has not been studied systematically, anecdotally there is evidence that African American women are more likely to identify first as black, and then as a woman. This is important because words have different meanings within different cultural traditions."

For instance, Minter says that the word philanthropy is not used as much in black church traditions as the word stewardship.

She also states that a stumbling block for black women's giving is that nonprofit communication materials often lack images and vocabulary that help people of color see themselves presented, making it difficult for them to identify with the cause.

And finally, Minter discusses how racial and ethnic communities have rich traditions of social structures and networks that nonprofit leaders often fail to recognize. "If organizations want to engage black women, they should recognize the power of churches, sororities, and civil rights organizations as partners that have credibility with their potential donors," Minter says.

Keeping all these important points in mind are critical to increasing diversity in women's giving.

Women and Peace: Women Transcending Borders

2011-09-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

When my colleague, Carmen Stevens, and I conducted our generational research about women's philanthropy, we found that peace was the one objective all generations of women wanted. Thus I wasn't surprised to see the article in the September 3, 2011 New York Times about the formation of a group called Women Transcending Boundaries following 9/11. The organization was begun so women could better understand each others faiths. One of the focuses of Women Transcending Boundaries is to organize international dinners to raise money for girls schools in Pakistan.

Just another inspiring example of women coming together to create change and bring about peace. Further proof of the 6 C's of women's motivations to give: create, change, connect, commit, collaborate, and celebrate. We surely celebrate Women Transcending Boundaries.

Communicating With Women

2011-08-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Eight Best Strategies to Communicate With Women

Talk to her; she influences couple giving as well as her own; a major reason women don't give is because they're not asked or spoken with.
Tell your story; make it brief, compelling, with a challenge that has been overcome. Help her identify with the story character. When the story concludes, know she will want to support your cause.
Respect her intelligence and individuality; understand where she is in her life stage.
Use the 6 C's of women's motivations for giving; they are helpful in all conversations and communications.
Explain how societal issues will be impacted by her giving; show how her gift will be transformative.
Be aware of the importance of diversity to her; both on your boards and how her gift will be used.
Provide role models; help her see others who are involved, past and present.
Consider her capable of being bold and audacious; she will reward you with her entrepreneurial spirit.

I recently used these eight strategies at a seminar for the communication and development staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was very pleased with the feedback I received.

Women Inspire Corporate Philanthropy

2011-08-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

According to a new paper from Christopher Marquis and Matthew Lee of the Harvard Business School, companies with more female senior managers give more money to charity. The same study showed that companies with more female board members give more money.

Their conclusions are that since women tend to give more in general, women board members and senior managers are in a position to influence their company's giving. Also, that women board members are more likely to come from the nonprofit world than are male board members and are more aware of nonprofit initiatives and the impact of corporate giving.

Because, according to a study from the Center for Women's Business Research found that half of women business owners with companies of more than $1 million in assets give at least $10,000 to charity annually compared to only 40% of men, a question remains as to whether women CEO's would give more money to nonprofits. But unfortunately there are not enough women in this position yet to do a statistically accurate survey. We have to believe that not only will there be more women CEO's but the research will show those companies with women CEO's also will give more.

The study, conducted with Fortune 500 companies to see which factors influence their generosity, is a very positive indicator of the ways women are changing philanthropy.

Check Out the New Book About Philanthropy

2011-06-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Inspired Legacies has just released a new book, Trusted Advisors for the Next Generation, available online.

Tracy Gary, co-founder of Inspired Legacies selected a group of "expert investment and donor advisors to explore emerging trends in philanthropy and investment." I was very pleased to be included as an author in an article co-written with philanthropist activist Helen LaKelly Hunt entitled, "Women and Philanthropy: Why Women Are the Answer."

A quote from our chapter:
"Voice without echo dies - which is why uniting with other women has been so empowering for us as donors. Our drive to become actively engaged in managing our finances and our philanthropy arose because we wanted our money to reflect our values. We found advisors who understood this. And we feel it is crucial that "next generation" financial advisors recognize the importance of donor education in helping women find their voice - with their investments and within their philanthropy."

How Far Can A Woman Go?

2011-06-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

I recently met Homa at the Women's Funding Network Conference and was enchanted not only with her, but with the concept. Homa the doll is preparing to set out on a fantastic journey, posing the question to all: How far can a woman go when she is supported? When she has an education? Health care? Infrastructure? Hope?

Homa was lovingly crafted by a widowed woman in Afghanistan, a woman who uses her craft and creativity as a means to support herself and her family in challenging circumstances. Her creativity is her vehicle for empowerment. As part of their Afghan Dolls Project, Rising International has helped to support and empower over 60 widows in Kabul by offering them a market for their dolls.

And now, Homa is preparing to set out on an inspiring journey around the globe where she will be hosted by supporting organizations and individuals. Her first part of the journey began when she visited the Women’s Funding Network conference in Brooklyn.

We can all join the fun and follow Homa on her journey by “friending” Homa on her Facebook page.

And best yet, you can adopt a doll for yourself and truly be a part of supporting what Homa is all about… asking how far can a woman go when she has the support she needs.

Carmel Jud, Executive Director of Rising International with Homa preparing for the Human Race for Change.

"I'm a Philanthropist: How Women are Changing America's Charitable Landscape"

2011-05-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

A fantastic video, "I'm a Philanthropist: How Women Are Changing America's Charitable Landscape," was created by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven's Community Fund for Women and Girls. I've been working in the field of women's philanthropy for over twenty years and finally, the true story is told and the words philanthropy and money are spoken as commonly as giving and change. No one is ashamed or hesitant to use the words. I loved the video and am telling the world about it. Be sure to watch and let the Fund know how much you liked it. Wouldn't it be great if every organization had the video to show to their members and donors. It speaks to every woman regardless of age, race or culture. Congratulations New Haven.

Volunteer Frustration

2011-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

In our research around the 6 C's of women's motivations to give, we found that women want to be connected to the cause they are giving to. That sounds easy enough until you add the component of "seeing the face" their gift impacts. Recently, I decided I had served on enough boards. As I have said so often, no one wants me for my "fine mind," it's always for fundraising and I'm quite tired of that.

Now I want to do something where I can work first hand with people, particularly teenagers. I have raised 3 children and have 8 grandchildren. I understand and probably have dealt with most of their issues. But so far, I have been told I can't work directly with the young people because of privacy laws. Other than Big Sisters, where I can't volunteer because I am not around in the winter, I have either been turned down or not had any response to my queries. In fact, it's as if I'm rather crazy to want to be in the trenches rather than the boardroom.

Now I have met many social workers who are burned out and overcome with paperwork. One who works with foster children told me recently that she has 80 cases and only can spend one hour a month with each of them. Otherwise, she's tied down with all the paperwork.

There has to be something terribly wrong with our system when the only volunteer opportunities available to me are to file papers, serve on fundraising committees, and plan events. None of which puts me in touch with the young people with whom I would like to work.

I am frustrated!

Women World Wide Leading Through Philanthropy

2011-04-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

From Special Contributor, Martha Taylor

I recently attended the Women’s Philanthropy Institute’s (WPI) Women World Wide Leading Through Philanthropy conference held in Chicago, March 10-11, 2011. It was a vibrant gathering of people from around the world and had an emphasis in two areas:

Insights into women’s philanthropy to all causes in the U.S. and abroad
Women’s philanthropic investments in international causes.

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute is part of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the conference featured four plenary sessions and fourteen break-out sessions. At one session, WPI director Dr. Debra Mesch reported on the latest WPI research: the Women Give report showed that women head of households give more than men head of households at all income levels. Other topics covered in other sessions included:

The role of women in philanthropy for Mexico, China, Africa.
How one person can make a difference in philanthropy abroad.
Special efforts to help women and girls internationally.
Family philanthropy now has a larger number of women having greater control over family foundations because of the cultural shift in the balance in marriage.
In Asia, philanthropy is done through bridge-making and collaboration between efforts.
In India women have had an increasing role with family philanthropy in the last twenty years.
It is difficult to measure family philanthropy outside the U.S. The challenges are that governments try to channel money to certain groups; obstacles exist to receipt of funds; and higher fences have arisen to moving money overseas since 9/11.

Jane Leighty Justis moderated a panel on Women Shaping the Future of Foundation Leadership. Panel members highlighted their personal journeys in philanthropic efforts in the U.S. and abroad.

A panel entitled “Girl Champions: Are Marketing Campaigns the Tipping Point” described the huge impact marketing can play in raising funds from girls and their families. Girl Up, part of the United Nations Foundation, wants to create “philanthroteens,” girls interested in helping others overseas. More than 170,000 girls have responded through marketing through Facebook and other means. Girl Effect is another effort to involve girls in giving to help gifts in poverty internationally.

Peggy Dulany, Founder and Chair of The Synergos Institute, gave the opening keynote, "The Imperative for Women’s Voices in Philanthropy Today." A summary of some of her remarks follows.

Lead through love, not fear.
The need to rebalance male and female characteristics in all of us. The world is currently out of balance. Female characteristics in society have been suppressed-- collaboration and sharing. Male traits have increased-- militarism and competition. Each of us has male and female characteristics. Both characteristics are good when they are in balance. However, each can have wounded traits: male being excessively competitive; female being excessively passive. View the contradictions as a normal part of life.
The positive predominantly female characteristics are: convening, networking, bridging across divides “bridging leaders,” listening, empathy, fostering chains of trust, low ego needs, ability to reach out to other diverse leaders, partnership building, building capacity for people, expanding creativity and a sense of connectivity to others. These apply all to philanthropy and help create change.
All of us must find a deeper purpose within ourselves beyond what is expected of us. Other people’s experience gives us courage.
Safe spaces need to be created for people to find themselves.

As a response to Delany’s remarks, Jennifer Buffett, President of the Novo Foundation, said:

What you do in your philanthropy is an extension of your life and reflects your values
The world is out of balance. Democracy is balance. It is cooperation.
Women have a secret talent—our brains have more connections.
Wholeness in what we know should be incorporated into ourselves.

Other impressions from the conference included:

Giving to women and girls internationally is essential to the advancement of society.
Special campaigns by the Red Cross, CARE, United Nations Foundation and the Women’s Moving Millions Campaign have raised the visibility of women’s philanthropic leadership by collective action.
Autonomous women’s organizations are a prerequisite to women’s rights.
The power of women in groups is important—they increase collaboration.
Intergenerational giving is increasing in the U.S. and abroad.
Legal barriers abroad are lower for faith based organizations
Boomer women are the most powerful women in the world.
Lack of role models is still the biggest problem for women today.
U.S. donors are more connected to overseas causes through stories, photos, site visits and volunteering.
Governments are the ultimate answer for alleviating poverty.
Measure success in terms of years, not short term. One good option is funding a project for three to ten years to see results, instead of one time investments.
More research on women’s philanthropy will illuminate the areas where work still needs to be done in educating women about how to leverage their giving.
No matter what a woman’s passion is, it starts from a personal place.
Leverage all your assets—put your money in women-friendly organizations. Be visible in your support—don’t be anonymous.
Take risks with your philanthropy.

What a thrill to meet women philanthropists from around the world and hear
about women and families coming together to help alleviate poverty abroad.
I was especially impressed with the young women at the conference: both
philanthropists and staff. They are working to find new ways to
communicate with others of mutual concern via facebook, the web and
twitter. I believe the efforts to educate youth will impact giving into the future.

But the best part of the conference was to hear the stories from individual
women about how they found their passion in international philanthropy.
The women talked about providing thousands of shoes to poor children in
third world countries, to assisting with the education of girls in a small
village. The greatest satisfaction, these women explained, is improving
the life chances of needy individuals, which affects communities and even
nations.

The Women's Funding Network Conference and Women's Leadership Qualities

2011-04-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Helen Hunt and Melanie Harris with me at the book signing

At the recent Women's Funding Network Annual Conference in New York, it was difficult to say what was most special: Chile's former president, Michelle Bachelet keynote, the fantastic women I met, the great sessions and presenters, or our book selling out, including one to Sarah Mukasa, Director of Programmes at the African Women's Development Fund in Ghana.

But for me, one session stood out from all others, perhaps because I know I will be doing a session on philanthropic leadership in the fall at the University of Wisconsin's Women's Philanthropy Council. The panelists were asked what one leadership quality they had and their answers were:

The ability to listen
Passion for the cause
Collective action
Bodacious and risk taking
Ability to take constructive criticism and change
Tenacity
Sense of humor
Physical energy

When considering women's philanthropic leadership, these qualities really got me thinking. Would men have responded in the same ways? I really don't think so.

In any case, I look forward to working with these eight leadership qualities in preparing for the November session and thank you to the following panelists for sharing their thoughts: Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, The First Lady of Ekiti State, Nigeria; Jamie Allison-Hope, S.H. Cowell Foundation and Spark; Emilienne de Leon, International Network of Women's Funds; Tiffany Dufu, The White House Project; Sara Gould, Foundation Center; and Becky Sykes, Dallas Women's Foundation.

Women's Philanthropic Prowress

2011-03-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Martha Taylor and Sondra at our AFP book signing

Four sessions about Women and Philanthropy were held at the annual conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals last week. Martha and I were there presenting as was the Women's Philanthropy Institute and authors, Margaret May Damen and Nicki McCuistion. We also had a book signing.

But another session was brought to our attention by Holly Hall (we were delighted she attended our session) from the Chronicle of Philanthropy which she wrote up in the March 22 issue under the headline, "Women Are Becoming Better Prospects for Fundraisers." The session was conducted by Susan U. Raymond, a New York economist and executive vice president of Changing Our World, a fund-raising consulting company.

Among the data Ms. Raymond presented was:

Wealth controlled by women in the US and Canada will grow 30 percent by 2014.
Women now control more than 50 percent of the wealth in Denmark, Finland, France, German, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Forty-one percent of all American businesses are owned by women.
One in 11 American women owns her own business and if these firms were a country, they would be right behind Germany in size.

As we have always said, women have the money and the intent, they just need to be asked.

AFP Recognizes The Importance of Women's Philanthropy

2011-03-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Three education sessions about one women's philanthropy in one day! That's what's happening at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP} International Conference on March 22 in Chicago's McCormick Place. Obviously the topic is resonating internationally, as it should.

From 8 to 9, will be a session titled, "A Case Study in Global Women's Philanthropy in the 21st Century," put on by the Center on Philanthropy and Lions Club International.

At 9:15 Martha Taylor and I will do a session, "Women, Money and Philanthropy" and following that, Margaret May Damen and Niki Nicastro McCuistion will talk about the boomer generation of women in their session, "Women, Wealth and Giving."

Closing the conference that day is President Bill Clinton. What a day!

Girls Are More Likely to Support Charities Using Social Medua

2011-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

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 .

Philanthropy and Memoirs

2011-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to report that my home town newspaper recently published an article about books my daughter and I have had published. The Traverse City, Michigan Record Eagle newspaper article, titled "Mother's, daughter's books" featured both our books. The mention means so much to me because Heather Shaw, whose book is Write, Memory is not only my daughter but was also an editor for our book, Women and Philanthropy, Boldly Shaping a Better World. You can read more about Heather on her blog.

From the 6 C's to the 4 C's

2011-01-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Last September, I spoke to the Dining For Women's Leadership Summit in Atlanta and I wanted to share some of what an attendee from Atlanta, Alexis Atwood had to say about a new personal twist on the C's of women's giving. In my keynote address, I had explained the 6 C's of women's giving and then said that I read Donna Karan also had her own C's: cashmere, cotton, candles, and compassion. In the excerpt below, Alexis takes it from there.

Leadership Summit, Friday, September 24th, 2010, 8:00 PM

In closing, Sondra discussed the idea of four personal “C’s “. It’s simply words that begin with the letter “C” that describe yourself, three of which are personal and the fourth being philanthropic. Sondra told us that her “Four C’s” were Comfort, Coffee, Cologne, and Caring, and then she asked each one of us to determine our own “Four C’s.” Upon returning to our room for the evening with several Atlanta chapter ladies in tow, we found ourselves discussing our “Four C’s.” After claiming that it seemed difficult, with most of us thinking only of food items…Cheeseburgers, Cookies, Cheese, Cupcakes, Chocolate, etc… (I mean, yum!!!) we suddenly started finding our own words… Clever, Compassionate, Creative, Contagious Personality, Confidence, Character, Co-creating... It appears that when we women give ourselves just a few moments to actually think about ourselves (because you know we often forget to do that!), we remember what really lies beneath, why the women’s philanthropic movement is thriving and growing, and why we are a part Dining for Women.

- Alexis Atwood

The Women's Funding Network and Collective Power

2010-12-30T12:44:00.000-08:00

My daughter-in-law, Christina Shaw, and I recently had lunch in San Francisco with Chris Grumm, President and CEO of the Women's Funding Network (WFN). We had a pleasant chat about the problems associated with owning an older home, the upcoming holidays and the past and future of women's philanthropy.

I asked Chris, based on all she has accomplished with and for women and girls, what four important programs remain to be done. She said we need to:

   -provide women with surround services such as child and health care
   -increase the number of business development opportunities for women
   -help women with asset development
   -provide more training and education to help women become economically independent

These four important services will be the focus of the Network's fundraising for the future. But Chris says in a December 26, 2010 article in Women's eNews:

"To do that, we need a movement of people conducting research, identifying solutions and mobilizing opinion and lawmaking.

We also need an overall vision of the sort of balanced society that we seek, where women and girls have a chance to reach their fullest potential. Otherwise we are all left struggling with the deadening consequences of poverty and inequality across the board.

To serve this vision, leaders in women's philanthropy know we must scale up our movement building.

The Women Moving Millions Campaign -- our partnership with visionary philanthropists Swanee and Helen LaKelly Hunt – is just the start of what we can achieve through our collective power."

Chris has set the bar very high for all of us working with women and philanthropy. I know how very different the world is now from even ten years ago because of the presence and activity of women's funds. Attention has been created through the funds themselves, the WFN, and attention from the media. Now we need to turn this focus into action so Chris' four programs will be mainstreamed and funded, not only by women's funds, but by foundations, men, and everyone who cares about what our world should look like and be about.

New Research Shows that Women in Developing Regions are More Generous Than Men

2010-12-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

Emma Turner
Head of Client Philanthropy
Barclays Wealth

A study just released shows that women in the emerging countries of South America as well as South Africa and the Middle East, give more than men and are taking the lead.

The survey of 2,000 millionaires around the globe and authored by Ledbury Research on behalf of Barclays Wealth in London found that in these regions, “19% of wealthy women spend more than five hours a week on charitable endeavors, compared to just 7% of wealth men in their region or only 7% of wealth European women.” The study concludes that it is wealthy women in the developing regions who are driving the growth of philanthropy.

After doing some more digging, I found that a July 2009 report from Barclay’s had this to say about women and giving from research of 500 net worth individuals in the UK and the US (all with investable assets of $5m). This research complements the new research being released today by the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Women Rise to the Fore

Findings revealed that women are playing an increasingly important role in driving the charitable agenda and that women are more generous than men, giving away a higher percentage (2.3 per cent) of their net investable assets than their male counterparts (1.3 per cent). This trend was accentuated in the US where women give almost twice as much in percentage of their investable assets.

The report also suggests that women's role in the future of philanthropy goes beyond being more generous than men and that they will also play a key role in influencing future generations' attitudes towards giving. The findings showed that women (38 per cent) were much more likely than men (25 per cent) to involve their children in general conversations about charity. They would also be more likely than men to involve their children in the processes of choosing the charity their family contributes to."

Kudos for all this great information goes to Emma Turner, Head of Client Philanthropy at Barclays Wealth. Turner previously worked at Goldman Sachs where she held a similar position.

A Heartfelt Thank You

2010-11-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

We are so grateful to all of you - our family, friends, colleagues and partners - for your wonderful support of us and our new book this past year! Wishing each of you a healthy, safe and very Happy Thanksgiving! Fondly, Sondra Shaw-Hardy, Martha A. Taylor and Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz and Bella.

Joy's Letter to Meg Whitman

2010-11-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Joy Picus

My wonderful friend, Joy Picus from Los Angeles, has spoken for so many of us in her open letter to Meg Whitman. Joy is a columnist for the Women's Foundation of CA blog. Do read what she has to say to Ms Whitman about where she might well have spent her money.

Although we do want more women to run for and win political office, perhaps they should consider other ways to spend their considerable wealth rather than or aside from running for office.

They did well, now it's time for them to "do good." That's what we expect of women because, as the Dalai Lama recently said, "The world will be saved by Western women." You go girls.

Women's Purchasing Power and Nike

2010-11-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Girl Power

After the Tiger Woods debacle, I decided not to buy any more Nike shoes or clothing. I thought Nike hadn't kept very good track of their star who was making millions of dollars for them as well as for himself. Although I knew my singular action (I did share my intentions with some others) might not make a big difference, nonetheless, I knew that women's purchasing power was huge (we do make 83% of all consumer decisions) and other women might also be feeling the same as I was.

Peter and Jennifer Buffett

But now I see that Nike is partnering with Jennifer and Peter Buffett's NoVo Foundation for a campaign called the Girl Effect. The article in November 10 New York Times, "Nike Harnesses 'Girl Effect' Again," made me curious. So I watched the video clip that was mentioned and was transformed. I sent it to my granddaughters as well. And guess what, my next pair of walking shoes will be Nike's!

Congratulations Nike on returning to your successful 1995 campaign theme about girls, on your outstanding video (already it has been watched more than 1.7 million times), and for partnering with the NoVo Foundation. May women's purchasing power return now to Nike because of its good works.

"Upholding Our Half: Making the Case for Women's Philanthropy"

2010-11-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

At last week's book signing with me on the left, Lisa Witter, author of "The She Spot" in the middle and Martha Taylor on the right.

Wow! What a conference last week in Chicago put on by CASE and WPI who also sponsored a very successful book signing for Martha and me. The sessions and presenters, including Indiana University's first lady, Laurie Burns McRobbie, were all superb. I took extensive notes to create some "takeaways" and some of the topics mentioned most frequently were:

it's just plain "smart" to focus on women as donors because of women's earning potential and their expected inheritance (some will even inherit twice; from parents and from spouse)
women's philanthropy should be institutionalized and the culture of giving at our institutions and organizations changed to recognize women's potential and contributions
more donor education is necessary and it's best to conduct the education sessions with more than one woman
development offices ought to work more closely with financial advisors who still need to better understand the importance of women and philanthropy
both internal and external champions within the institution are necessary to develop a women's philanthropy initiative
crediting and acknowledging women's and couple's gifts continue to remain an enormous problem
there are differences between the perceptions of women who have earned versus inherited their wealth and perhaps another category is necessary to represent those that don't quite fit either one
social media is a rising star on the horizon of women's philanthropy
an important topic to women is children and wealth

I loved what one person said: women should be encouraged to "pick up the keys to their kingdom," or as one person said, "the queendom." Anyway, that's what the conference meant to me: learning more about how to make this happen.

Everyone agreed that the new research, "Women Give 2010," released by the Center on Philanthropy and the Women's Philanthropy Institute is extremely important and we recognized the need to support more research through our contacts and our cash.

As you can tell, it was a great exchange of ideas and a terrific forum for addressing the future of women's philanthropy. Following are some additional photos I took at the conference.

Kay Chalk, trustee from East Carolina University and Martha

Robin Feldman from CASE; Trish Jackson, conference chair and VP for Development at Smith College; Andrea Pactor, associate director at the Women's Philanthropy Institute; and Eugene Tempel, president of the Indiana University Foundation

Martha and Maureen Dembski, Director of Development, Midwest, University of Wisconsin Foundation

Women and Do It Yourself Foreign Aid

2010-10-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Check out the recent (October 24) New York Times Magazine. It's all about women including an interview with Melinda Gates and an great article about women creating their own foreign aid through their philanthropy.

Women Give More Than Men to Charity Study Shows

2010-10-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Dr. Debra Mesch

Women across nearly every income level gave significantly more to charity than men, nearly twice as much in some cases, according to a study, Women Give 2010, by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Nonprofits have long suspected that women were the driving forces behind many of the gifts they receive, but they haven't had much proof. But the results of this study are so decisive and consistent, they can stop wondering, said Debra Mesch, director of the university's Women's Philanthropy Institute.

The study offered several factors the researchers thought contributed to the growing generosity of women: More women are working and their incomes have grown, more have college degrees that yield greater earning power, and the percentage of women who make more money than their working husbands is now about 26 percent.

The study released Thursday found women give more in every income bracket except one: Those with incomes of between $23,509 and $43,500.

The data used for the study was not broken down by gender, so researchers looked solely at households headed by single men or single women, including adults who have been divorced, widowed or never married. They looked at the donating patterns of about 8,000 American households.

Previous research has shown that women encourage their husbands to give to charity and that women seem to be making a lot of charitable decisions in married households, but it's difficult to get hard data on those trends.

"I think the general assumption is that women might be more likely to give, but that they give less money," Mesch said.

That assumption is only half true, according to the analysis of data from a 2007 Center on Philanthropy study. Women gave more often than men and spread out their giving to different charities, but they also give more in total dollars, Mesch said.

"It's going to be a wake-up call that I better pay attention to women," Mesch said.

Where Are The Men?

2010-10-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz

In researching articles about women's philanthropy for our book, Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, it became very clear that the super majority of articles were penned by women. And the tradition continues. For example, the articles in the publication, Woman to Woman, featuring Buffy (co-author of our book) and giving by women in Howard County, MD, were written by Laura Linley. Another recent article from the Baltimore area, "Charitable Giving: Women's Philanthropy Emerges as a Force," for The Daily Record, was also written by a woman: Betsy Nelson.

I think back to Anne Matthews writing that seminal article in the New York Times Magazine in 1991, "Alma Maters Court Their Daughters; Holly Hall's numerous articles, beginning with "Cultivating Philanthropy by Women," for the Chronicle of Philanthropy; Erin Strout's article about courting and reaching female donors in the Chronicle of Higher Education; the People magazine article in 1998 about the Washington Women's Foundation that motivated so many of us to start giving circles; and Joanna Krotz many articles for the annual issue of Town&Country.

On the one hand I mightily applaud all the women in the media who have brought women's philanthropy to the forefront. But I also greatly lament the lack of men in the media who have written about women's philanthropy. Where are you? There are a few "good men" but many more are needed to give validity to a very valid subject impacting all of human kind: women's philanthropy and how it is reshaping not only philanthropy, but the world as well.

Power, Politics and Philanthropy

2010-09-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it interesting that, in an interview by Jeff Zucker with Nancy Pelosi this morning, she said, ”I never intended to be involved in politics. I saw it as an extension of being a mother. What drives my engine in the morning are the one in four children who live in poverty. I’m motivated by family. To answer your question, being Speaker is an incredible, historic honor, but it’s nothing like a newborn baby or grandbaby. Women can be a unifying force in our country. It’s important not to have the debate be venomous. There’s so much at stake. We have to honor our responsibility to make the future better for our children. Increasing communication among women will power the future. Know your power."

Women in politics and women in philanthropy share the same values: children, family, honor, unifying, responsibility, a better future, communication. And they share the same one of the same methods: understand and know your power. Go Nancy.

The Asian American Women's Giving Circle and Hali Lee

2010-09-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Although I have not personally met Hali Lee, I feel she is a good friend as I interviewed her for the book, Women’s Giving Circles: Reflections From the Founders, published by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute in August 2009 and we became fast phone friends. Hali is shown here with her family on their trip to Korea this past summer in celebration of her dad’s 90^th birthday.

Hali is the founder of the Asian Women’s Giving Circle (AWGC) and they are having a big event on Wednesday, September 29 at the Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Center Street, New York City.

The Asian Women’s Giving Circle is a group of Asian American women pooling their money to fund other Asian women in NYC who, according to Hali, “Use their tools of art to further a social equity goal. We work together to raise resources to support Asian American women-led social change organizations in New York City’s under served community. We raise resources and philanthropists. Every donor helps decide which projects are funded.”

At the event on the 29^th, there will be “works in progress” such as a film that examines stereotypes of Asian American women in the media, a music video that raises awareness about sex-trafficking, a documentary about mental illness and suicide in the Asian American community, a multi-media summer workshop for low-income immigrant girls who lives with the legacy of war, and a multi-media art project that features interviews with laundromat customers to show the shifting demographics in NYC neighborhoods.

In its fifth year of raising resources and philanthropists, the AWGC has raised and distributed over $350,000 for thirty-nine projects of individual artists and community-based organizations. Their goal this year is to raise $100,000.

I applaud Hali and all the women who are part of this fantastic circle of women givers.

Bella and the Book

2010-09-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well, UPS delivered our new book two weeks after we welcomed our new puppy, Bella, a toy poodle. Life is pretty exciting and someone, after seeing the picture said there should be one of Bella chewing the book. Why not, she chews everything else. But she is darling and we are so excited about seeing the book in its entirety. We thank everyone who helped make it possible and hope to hear from you. Do let us know what you liked or would want to hear more about.

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

2010-08-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-08-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Challenge or Collaborate

2010-07-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

Helen and Swanee Hunt
Women Moving Millions

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates
Billion Dollar Challenge

I've been thinking a great deal about the Gates/Buffet Billionaire Challenge to raise $650 billion from billionaires. Although I'm surely in favor of more money going to nonprofits and recognize the potential, something bothers me. It's the same type fundraising as is done in most capital campaigns. It's all about using competition to get people to give.

This definitely was not the method used by Women Moving Millions. Now granted, we're talking millions here, not billions. But you have to start somewhere and look at how successful the women were: by not using competition. They used connection and collaboration and yes, the rest of the 6 C's of women's giving as well: change, create, commit and now they are celebrating. The money was raised because of the need, not just because of who asked them to give. There was no challenge involved unless it was a collaborative one of getting the goal completed (which was done and more).

Again, I don't want to negate the methods being used in the billion dollar campaign as let's face it, most billionaires are men and this is the way men have traditionally raised money--through challenging one another--through competition.

My daughter's significant other brought this home to me recently when he decided that if women could raise $8,000 at a potluck (see the July 26 post), his male friends would do the same. He said their motive would be that they wouldn't want to have the other men think they couldn't or wouldn't participate. This is so very different from the way we raised our money. It was because of the cause: to help women in dire need in the community.

In the last chapter of our new book, "Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World," we talk about what the world would be like if the ways women give became the ways all people give. That remains to be seen and I hope I'm around to see the results...when women are the billionaires and making the giving decisions. Perhaps there won't be a need for challenges because women will already be giving at least 50% of their assets to non-profits. To be generous and compassionate because they know it's the right thing to do.

mAIDens of Michigan

2010-07-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today an article appeared in the Traverse City Record Eagle about mAIDens of Michigan and how we just raised $8,000 at a potluck for women. Shown here in the photo is my dear friend, Brenda Biederman, and me holding our food in her kitchen.

Brenda founded mAIDens in 2008 sending out invitations to her "girlfriends" to come to her house, and bring a dish to pass as well as a personal donation.

I had heard about a woman in Washington DC that had her friends come for a potluck dinner once a month and contribute what it would cost them to go out to a nice dinner to support local women in need. I told Brenda about it and she said, "We can do that here." And so, after four potlucks, we have raised $27,000.

We contact local human service organizations to get stories of women who need some help that will make a positive change in their lives. Two particularly gratifying stories are two women who needed restorative dental work. Through grants from mAIDens, they both received a full set of teeth and gained the confidence to secure full time work.

A small committee receives the applications and grants all the money until the next potluck where the stories of whom we have helped are shared.

My daughter-in-law was here from Atlanta over the weekend and when she saw the article she said she could do the same thing back home. In fact, we hope others will feel the same way and we'll eventually have mAIDens for Michigan all over the state.

Women's Corporate Influence

2010-07-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

As reported in research from the Center on Philanthropy, women are a strong influence on couple giving. Would Bill Gates have given as much without Melinda, he says probably not and it wouldn’t be as much fun.

Taking this concept a step further, what role can women play in corporate giving and investment? If women used their influence, what dollars could be unlocked to be given and invested. Not only women who are in positions of power within the companies and on their boards, but spouses of the men who serve in those positions.

I recently read Fareed Zakaria’s column and Jon Meachem’s editorial in Newsweek. They suggested that the private sector could unleash a corporate stimulus similar to the government’s stimulus package. They threw out a challenge. “The Federal Reserve recently reported that America’s 500 largest nonfinancial companies have accumulated an astonishing $1.8 trillion of cash on their balance sheets. By any calculation (for example, as a percentage of assets, this is higher than it has been in almost half a century. And yet, most corporations are not spending this money on new plants, equipment or workers…[Such] investments would likely have greater effect and staying power than a government stimulus.”

We know that despite some inroads, most corporate CEO’s are males, as are a majority of the board members of the largest corporations. All of whom most likely have spouses. What if these spouses were to suggest that the corporations give more to charity and invest more in the future of America? Would women have the same kind of influence on corporate giving as they do on the couple’s individual giving? Maybe not but perhaps we should try. Try being bold not only in family giving but in influencing corporate giving and investment through our husband's positions. Just a thought.

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

2010-07-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Philanthropy and Town&Country Magazine

2010-06-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

I am hoping the July issue of Town&Country all about philanthropy won't be the last issue concerning this important subject. With Pamela Fiori leaving the position of editor in chief, I worry about that happening as she was the impetus eight years ago to have an annual philanthropy issue. And this July issue is so thin and without all the ads we've come to expect, unless the companies whose products are featured because they contribute to causes, paid for being included.

Was this issue so slender because T&C was feeling charitable and didn't include the usual gems and gowns? Was it because the advertising staff couldn't or didn't do their job? Or is this the end of what everyone I know always waits for; T&C's annual philanthropy issue. Let's hope that this wonderful affirmation of the importance of philanthropy lives on through a continuous issue devoted to giving.

There were so many inspiring stories of women and men and their causes that it is hard to pick out any in particular, but some of the women that I was particularly taken with were:

Young Audiences of New York (I recall beginning a chapter of Young Audiences in Traverse City and so glad to see the program is still viable) and Kim Greenberg, chair of the board of directors.

Studio in a School founded by Agnes Gund.

Rachel's Network founded by Winsome McIntosh. I am proud to say that the Women's Philanthropy Institute did some consulting with this group several years ago.

Hope in Bloom founded by Roberta Dehman Herson. I can't help but think this idea could be something we all could do.

Elevate Destinations created by Dominique Callimanopulos. The idea of "donor travel" is so appealing to us all.

Jena Gardner and her Traveler's Collection that aids women artisans.

Lauren Bush's Feed Projects and her stylish feed bags.

Donna Karan's Urban Zen. I recently read that her favorite C's are compassion, care, cashmere, candles and cotton while our favorite C's of women's giving are: create, change, commit, connect, collaborate, and celebrate.

And finally, my friend and colleague, Joanna Krotz who always writes for T&C's philanthropy issue interview with Sheryl WuDunn, coauthor of Half the Sky.

Bolder Giving Challenges

2010-06-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Years ago I spoke with the late Claude Rosenberg on a rainy, cold day in San Francisco. Claude’s 1994 book, Wealthy and Wise: How You and America Can Get the Most Out of Your Giving, advocated giving from assets and how doing so would double the amount of philanthropy annually. Those were extraordinary ideas and some even felt outrageous. But I was struck by his ideas of challenging millionaires to give more and deeply humbled to be in his presence, which lives on through his organization, the New Tithing Group.

When I saw the Buffet Gates Billionaire Challenge, I was reminded of Claude (shown here with children in a childcare school he created). After pulling out his book, I had totally forgotten that he inscribed it to me and written, “To Sondra Shaw-Hardy with great respect for what you are doing (and have done) for Women in Philanthropy. Warmest regards, Claude. 1-12-98.” I was so touched to reread this.

Now, some 14 years later, the Buffet Gates Billionaire Challenge takes off from where Claude began, only with billionaires this time rather than millionaires (think how much money has been generated in those 14 years to take this kind of leap--from millionaire to billionaire). As thrilling as this is, what Anne and Christopher Ellinger are doing with their Bolder Giving Challenge is even more exciting. They have a challenge for everyone, not just billionaires or millionaires. But for all of us.

By signing the Bolder Giving Challenge, you pledge to explore ways to become bolder in your giving, give more (could be time as well as money), more effectively, become more fulfilled as a giver, and encourage others to give.

I’ve signed up as number 124 and plan to be one of the 500 Bolder Givers by July 15. I encourage you to do so as well by going to www.boldergiving.org. How wonderful to see Claude’s ideas live on through women like Melinda Gates and Anne Ellinger.

Foundations and Diversity: Glass Pockets

2010-06-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Those of us who have been promoting women and philanthropy for so many years are keenly aware of the part that diversity has played in increasing our numbers as givers and as leaders.

Today, the Chronicle of Philanthropy published a column by Dr. Emmett D. Carson, the respected chief executive officer of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in Mountain View, California .

I first met Dr. Carson several years ago when he was a speaker at a conference I attended and was thrilled to hear him point out the need to bring diversity to the attention of the philanthropic world.

His column addresses a new Florida law that prohibits the State of Florida or local governments from requiring foundations to disclose certain demographic data about board and staff members, as well as grantees, without the written permission of those involved. The law also prohibits the state from requiring a diverse board or requiring a foundation to make grants based on demographic information. The demographic data covered by the new law include "race, religion, gender, national origin, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and political-party registration of its employees, officers, directors, trustees, members, or owners."

In his column, Dr. Carson says, "During the McCarthy-era hearings, the chair of the Carnegie Corporation of New York said, “"We think that the foundation should have glass pockets."”

He goes on to say, “In the years since, foundations have largely embraced the values of diversity, accountability, and openness as a way of recognizing and protecting the enormous freedom and flexibility that foundations enjoy to do their work.” But the new Florida law does just the opposite. It not only raises questions about the values foundations have but it also could have significant limits on tax deductions of donors.

While Dr. Carson concurs that government should not decide who sits on boards and receives grants, he points out that, “the idea that government is prohibited from requesting diversity data …undermines the promise that foundations have made to the American public that they are committed to diversity, inclusiveness, accountability, and transparency in their operations.”

Dr. Carson concludes by cautioning, “the Florida law is likely to create a state-by-state battleground that will lead to the need for a federal law. If we do not forcefully respond to this challenge, we should not be surprised when there are Congressional hearings and our claims of “glass pockets” fall on deaf ears.”

For a complete reading of the article, go to: http://philanthropy.com/article/Opinion-Florida-Law-Makes-It/65856/?sid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=en

Melinda Gates and Couple Giving

2010-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

When Melinda Gates announced this week that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was pledging $1.5-bllion for women and children, the announcement reminded me of what I read a couple of years ago in Fortune Magazine. In an interview with Warren Buffett, he was asked if he would have given the Gates Foundation his fortune if Melinda were not in the picture, to which he replied, “That’s a great question. And the answer is, I’m not sure.” Buffett went on to say that he believes that Melinda makes Bill a better decision-maker. “He’s smart as hell, obviously, but in terms of seeing the whole picture, she’s smarter.”

And see the whole picture she does. One cannot but speculate that Melinda had a great deal to do with the recent gift. In fact, Bill said about philanthropy in that same article, “I don’t think it would be fun to do on my own and I don’t think I’d do as much of it.”

As we have reported in our new book, Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, to be published by Jossey-Bass in September, Gates’ remarks bear out what we hear across the board: in focus groups, research done by the Center on Philanthropy as well as a 2009 Fidelity study. Women have a strong influence on their spouses and on couple philanthropy.

Thank you Melinda for challenging the notion that high maternal and child deaths are unavoidable and for urging leaders of governments and other institutions around the world to make women’s and children’s health a higher priority. And thank you Bill for listening to and acting on your wife’s interests. May you both continue to be models for all couples.

Congratulations Ellen Remmer

2010-05-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote about the launch of a women’s foundation in Dublin, Ireland and had no idea that Ellen Remmer, a friend and champion of women’s philanthropy, was a speaker until seeing a report in a Dublin newspaper article about the meeting and Ellen’s presence.

Along with the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese who also spoke, who could be a better advocate for women’s philanthropy and women’s issues than Ellen. She is the president and CEO of The Philanthropy Institute (TPI) in Boston and active in her family’s foundation that supports helping disadvantaged girls take charge of their lives.

Ellen has always been a strong supporter of women and philanthropy and has advanced it in her own competent and confident way; both quietly and effectively. She also serves on the Council of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

In an interview conducted while Ellen was in Dublin, she said that regardless of which charities or causes one supports, she is adamant that it’s not just those with money who can make a difference.

‘‘Money is a powerful tool and gives you a place at the table and allows you the flexibility to do things, but the thing I have learned is that it is about deciding you are empowered to be able to change things.

‘It is just easier if you have money, but in fact, we all can play that role. Money is just a tool, but just giving money without the rest of the package is not going to be very powerful.

‘That’s part of what strategic philanthropy is - you are getting smarter and smarter about an issue, you know the right people to bring into it and that’s how you get the leverage."

You can read more about Ellen on her blog.

The Power of the Purse and Vera Bradley

2010-05-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Until now this blog has been about The Power of the Purse meaning the power women have to give philanthropically from their increased earnings and control of wealth. But what about the power of women’s spending? With women making 80 percent of the nation’s purchases, what does the Power of the Purse represent in the consumer market? What should it represent?

When making our purchases as the world’s largest economy (yes, author Tom Peters did say women were the world’s largest economy), I think we should ask these six questions that I call:

Six Spending Requirements From the Power of My Purse:

1. How many women are on the corporation’s board?

2. What charitable efforts does the company support?

3. What does the corporation do to help women and girls?

4. How is the corporation working to increase women’s roles in management and corporate executives?

5. Does the company have a plan for increasing diversity?

6. How is the corporation collaborating with others to further philanthropy?

Women's Power of the Purse is enormous. Just as in our philanthropy, we can have an incredible impact on the corporate world; helping them see our way of thinking and living as the best way.

One company that does just that is Vera Bradley. Begun in 1982 in their basements by Patricia Miller and her friend Barbara Bradley Baekgaard (shown above), and named for Barbara's mother who died of breast cancer, Vera Bradley Designs is now a global empire. In 1998, a Vera Bradley Foundation was established which created the Vera Bradley Center for Breast Cancer research and its Chair in Oncology. www.verabradley.org. So in fact, Vera Bradley represents both sides of the Power of the Purse: philanthropy and corporate awareness.

I personally buy Vera Bradley purses because they’re pretty, not terribly expensive and the company passes the Six Spending Requirements:

§ 4 of six board members are women

§ the company supports research for breast cancer research

§ this research helps women and girls

§ Vera Bradley is very supportive of diversity

§ although I couldn’t find what the company specifically does to increase women’s roles in management and as corporate executives, more than 60 percent of their staff are women

§ Vera Bradley has joined forces with both Aetna and MassMutual to battle breast cancer

A score of 5.5 out of 6 is enough for me to proudly carry my Vera Bradley bag(s) because I know my “power of the purse” counts. And I can also spot others in airports and on the street whom I know feel the same way about Vera Bradley and what it represents to us as women: caring and giving.

"Women, Wealth & Giving"

2010-05-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, I spent the day reading Margaret May Damen and Niki Nicastro McCuistion’s new book, Women Wealth and Giving: the Virtuous Legacy of the Boom Generation.” Margaret May had given me the book in January with a sweet inscription inside and I had looked at various parts of it but never actually read it from beginning to end. My impressions as I reflect on it today are that I am so sorry I missed being a boomer, and that anyone who cares about women and philanthropy should have this book.

It seems we all like to relate to something in which we see ourselves and the details in this book about being a boomer are not only profound, but they are vastly entertaining as well. For instance they write, "In the 1960s, we knew we could not trust anyone over 30, yet as the flower children who had issued that warning found careers, got married, and raised children or chose alternate lifestyles, we assimilated into the very system we had rebelled against.”

I am always looking for new phrases and quotes to use when speaking, as well as new subjects or ways or expressing old ideas, and they are all are bountiful in this book. A plethora of sources were used and I highlighted and turned down dozens of pages to use in future speeches and writing. Being a wealth planner, Margaret May has included an abundant number of invaluable exercises, centering around women finding their values and turning those values into philanthropy.

Although I do not know Niki well, I first met Margaret May several years ago in Indianapolis at a women and philanthropy symposium put on by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Over the years we would occasionally run into one another at various meetings and conferences and then during the last couple of years, we often exchanged thoughts about writing a book--the discipline required, the long days and nights, the loneliness, and the joy of finishing. Her book was published in January and ours will be out in September. We have been assured by our shared publishers that the books will be marketed together.

Our books do share the same topic: women and philanthropy, but are quite different in the information contained and genuinely enhance and complement one another. I am proud to be Margaret May’s friend and colleague and extremely proud of her contributions to this amazing movement of women and philanthropy. Bravo Margaret May!

Dining For Women & Marsha Wallace

2010-05-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

I first met Marsha in 2008 in Washington D.C. when we on a panel for the Giving Circles Network at the National Press Club. Her energy, enthusiasm and vision for Dining for Women (DFW) was contagious. So much so that she has grown the organization from one dinner in 2003 with 20 women attending and $750 raised, to $285,000 raised in 2009 from over 3,000 women in 160 chapters throughout the United States.

Dining for Women vows to “change the world, one dinner at a time.” These potluck dinners are held at women’s homes and the women donate what they would have spent for dinner at a restaurant. The money is then distributed to non-profits in developing countries. Marsha says that most of the members are already giving in their own communities and diversifying their philanthropy through DFW.

In the booklet, Women’s Giving Circles: Reflections from the Founders I wrote last year for the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, I included Marsha and her great story that combines Marsha with a woman from Ethiopia, Oprah Winfrey and the Today Show. You can find the booklet (look for page 23) under research on the Women’s Philanthropy Institute website: http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/womensphilanthropyinstitute/.

When asked why DFW give only to women and girls internationally, Marsha points out what Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and co-author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide states,   "The oppression of women worldwide is the human rights cause of our time. And their liberation could help solve many of the world's problems, from poverty to child mortality to terrorism."  

Check out the Dining for Women website at www.diningforwomen.com and do consider starting a chapter in your city. DFW also sponsors trips to places they have made grants and recently returned from Kenya where they visited one of the nonprofits they had funded.

Philanthropy, Feminism and the Ford Foundation

2010-04-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago I mentioned meeting a wonderful young woman who was writing her thesis on "Philanthropy as an Expression of Feminism" for Hood College in Maryland. Yesterday I heard from Betsy Diehl that her thesis had not only been accepted but she had received an A from her graduate school committee. I asked Betsy to write a summary of her thesis and I am proud to include it in this blog. Should you want to contact Betsy directly, her email address is diehl@hood.edu and I know she would be delighted to share the entire thesis with you. It is a very different twist on women and philanthropy and quite frankly, one I had never considered. I'm sure you will find it extremely interesting as well.
From Betsy:

"My research arose from what I have observed over the years as a professional college fundraiser – the fact that some people, particularly women, do not give simply because they do not consider themselves to be philanthropists. I began to suspect that people who felt this way were basing their views on a stereotypical image of philanthropy that has persisted since the days of Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller; i.e., that philanthropy is a masculine pursuit associated with power, money and ego. For those who identify with feminist values, such an interpretation renders philanthropy to be problematic. As a result, those who might otherwise be involved in efforts towards social reform and community uplift choose not to participate in what they perceive to be an oppressive, power-based practice.

Through extensive research, however, I discovered a provocative truth: that philanthropy and feminism are not only aligned, but that philanthropy, in its purest form, may in fact be considered a powerful expression of feminism.

To come to this revelation, I eradicated the stereotypes and whittled down philanthropy and feminism to their cores. In doing so, three key congruent features were revealed. First is the shared desire for social reform. In addition, both recognize the need to challenge and change the existing system in order to fix problems. Finally, there is the overarching requirement of inclusive collaboration between those who are involved in the funding, designing and implementing social reform activities along with those who are directly affected by those efforts.

To test this thesis, I conducted a case study of one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world, the Ford Foundation. This study reveals some significant, and perhaps surprising, truths about using philanthropy to promote feminist objectives. While the Ford Foundation since its inception has been committed to upholding “democratic” values, it has, probably unintentionally, gravitated towards a feminist approach to fulfilling its mission, particularly since the 1970s.

This paper illuminates the fact that understanding philanthropy as a vehicle for expressing feminist objectives has important implications. First, fundraisers may have greater success attracting female donors to their causes if women are comfortable identifying with philanthropy. Additionally, women may have increased opportunities to exercise greater influence on the areas of society that are touched and shaped by philanthropy. Finally, viewing philanthropy as a means to achieve feminist objectives is likely to resonate with the next generation who seek to “be part of something” in order to make a difference in society and the world a better place for all."

Betsy Diehl

Director of Annual Giving

Hood College

Frederick, MD

How Much is Enough?

2010-04-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Jacki Zehner

A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-author's of Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, sent a quick question asking what I would recommend for reading for a diverse group of high worth women who have formed an informal discussion group about the topic of philanthropy. The women want to have a discussion on "how much is enough" - both to have and to give. Here is an excerpt from our new book about this topic.
   "As for how much money is enough, Linda Basch, president of the National Council for Research on Women says, "For women it's not just the thrill of making money, it's the social purposes that the money can be used for. What we've seen with some women in our research about women in fund management is that they have a sense of when they've made enough and they cash out."
   Basch points to Jacki Zehner as an example. In 1996 Zehner was the youngest woman and the first female trader to be invited into the partnership of Goldman Sachs. After leaving the firm in 2002 at the age of 35, and having done well, she is now committed to doing good through her philanthropy concerning the economic empowerment of women."
I sent Buffy's question out to some friends and the following represent their replies.

From Anne Ellinger and Bolder Giving

Download (or order hard-copy) the Bolder Giving Workbook, which has quite a bit about "How Much Is Enough?". Also, look through the "inspiring stories" section of www.boldergiving.org, especially those with "simplicity" as the motivation.
More Than Money: Scroll down the archives to issue #4 "How Much Is Enough?"
Vicki Robin's website, book, online articles and teleclasses: Your Money or Your Life.
Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan.
Kevin and Hannah Salwens book, The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back.

Jacki Zehner from The Purse Pundit blog recommended:

Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan.
Tracy Gary's books, Inspired Legacies.

Others that I would recommend:

Margaret May Damen and Niki McCuistion, Women, Wealth and Giving: The Virtuous Legacy of the Boom Generation.
Lynn Twist's, The Soul of Money.
Charles W. Collier, Wealth in Families.
Joanna Krotz, The Guide to Intelligent Giving: Make a Difference in the World--and in Your Own Life.
Douglas M. Lawson, Give to Live: How Giving Can Change Your Life.
An older but very wise book is the late Claude Rosenberg, Jr's Wealthy and Wise, How You and America can get the Most our of Your Giving.
And finally, one that is sure to elicit ideas and dialogue is Amy A. Kass' book, The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and Prose.

I surely hope that this list sparks more of these discussions among both women and men of all ages and wages and that you will add more to the list as well. Perhaps if more of these discussions had gone on, there would be no reason for like limiting CEO pay or financial reform bills.

I don't mean to leave anyone out but it does seem that athletes, music and film stars do have philanthropic role models but not so corporate executives. Perhaps they don't get the same kind of attention with their philanthropy as a Bono, Madonna, Magic Johnson or Brad Pitt. But perhaps it's also time for them to let us know what they are doing to make the world a better place. Not just through their corporate contributions, but through their personal gifts as well. Thank you Jacki Zehner for taking the time to step back and think through the question of how much is enough, and then becoming a strong philanthropist.

Mary McAleese, President of Ireland: Flying With Two Wings

2010-04-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Ireland’s President, Mary McAleese used a rather unique analogy comparing the current economic crisis to being given a bird with two wings and insisting on flying it with one. Speaking at a Women and Philanthropy symposium in Dublin April 14^th, McAleese said the current economic situation was “pretty much testosterone driven.”

A “toxic amalgam of cultural norms, stereotypes, laws and attitudes” has excluded women from many spheres over generations and “pulling it apart is still a major work in progress. We are only at the beginning,” she said. Wow! And she’s been president of Ireland since 1997 where, when she was a little girl she was told by a priest that she couldn’t be a lawyer because she was a girl. She showed him. Not only did she get her law degree, in 1975 she was appointed Professor of Law at Trinity College.

Now, I do understand her getting a law degree. What I don’t understand is that she’s the second woman president Ireland has had (she succeeded the first one and that too was a first in the world, ever). But Ireland has only had eight presidents. Conclusion: we are so far behind in the United States.

But back to the subject of women and philanthropy. The event called “Realizing the Power and Potential of Women in Philanthropy,” was hosted by the Community Foundation of Ireland (CFI) and Philanthropy Ireland. A new philanthropic Women’s Fund for Ireland was launched at the event and the CFI pledged one hundred thousand pounds to begin the fund. Another wonderful spread of women’s philanthropy world-wide.

Again, referring to a bird using both its wings, i.e. resources. instead of just one of them, McAleese says, if the “special constituency of private philanthropy by women flourishes, Ireland will flourish.” I take the meaning to be, if women's philanthropy becomes half of all philanthropy in Ireland (which it currently is not), the country will flourish. Just as others have said in different ways, when women have and give their half, the world will be a better one.

I was also intrigued with the fact that McAleese grew up a Catholic in Northern Ireland in an area that was mostly Protestant. She first hand saw battles in her neighborhood where her father’s store was hit with machine gun fire and a bomb left for him (instead it killed a young mother). Not surprisingly, peace is of utmost importance to her. She encourages “creating a new culture of consensus,” “reconciliation of all classes and creeds,” and quotes her grandmother as teaching her very early to be “respectful of the uniqueness of each person.”

But perhaps the most interesting part of my learning more about McAleese was her take on women’s leadership. In an interview she gave in 1999, she said women have an advantage because we come to problems conceptually, “quite different from men.” She believes that women can “seedbed” and aren’t particularly worried about being around for the “full flowering” of their solutions. This she attributes to the fact that women have been out of the traditional mainstream and have had to look in the nooks and crannies and find ways through very difficult spaces. This “has been the gift of women to the world,” she says.

An amazing woman who represents the very essence of women's philanthropy as she, "uses the present moment to craft the kind of future I want for my children and for my life.”

“Opening Their Hearts and Their Suitcases”

2010-04-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Svetlana Sussman

One of Merriam-Webster's definitions of "purse" is "resources," and that's just what MIT Sloan professor, Svetlana Sussman is... "resource"ful.

Svetlana's late father, a professor of physics at St. Petersburg State University, had been blind since the age of 2. In his memory, his daughter has partnered with American organizations to provide over 500 white walking canes to students and young professionals living in Russia.

All of the donations are transported to Russia by business people and college students (Dartmouth and Brandeis among them), because of the hefty taxes applied to gifts sent through the mail. The M.N. Adamov Fund for the Blind also donates digital recorders for students to use during lectures and collects used computers. Sussman says they rely on people, “opening their hearts and their suitcases.” The Boston Globe. 4/9/10

Women's Management and Women's Philanthropy

2010-03-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Debra L. Lee, chairwoman and chief executive of the BET Networks

Is there a connection between the ways women manage in the corporate world and the ways women give philanthropically? My colleague, Martha Taylor and I have always believed there is. Research going back to Sally Helgesen's 1990 book, The Female Advantage, talks about why more women and needed in the corporate world because of their special qualities such as non-hierarchical, collaboration, listening skills and yes, even nurturing.

In the Sunday, March 28, 2010 New York Times, these same skills were listed by Debra Lee in an interview in the Business Section titled, "Sometimes You Have to Say 'My,' Not 'Our'" written by Adam Bryant. Ms. Lee is very open about what she went through going from general counsel to C.O.O. and describes what most of us have found when doing so, "It can be lonely at the top."

But more than that, Lee talks about the differences between how women and men lead and says, "...women listen more, are more consensus builders and less dictators, and more compassionate." She adds that not all women or men are the same--haven't we all had bad and good experiences with both? But she points out there are, "...general differences, and we need more women as C.E.O.'s to prove that their way to manage is O.K. Just what we think about women and philanthropy. We need more women to show that their way of giving is not only OK, but "the way" of giving.

Women, Documentaries and Philanthropy

2010-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sheila Johnson at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

While doing research for a recent presentation in Baltimore about the 6 C's of women's giving motivations plus 3, I used philanthropist Sheila Johnson as an example of the 9th C - Courage. Sheila's courage resulted in a 2008 documentary, A Powerful Noise, about three women who were reaching across old ethnic divides to heal post-war tensions in order to create jobs for women in her community. The documentary features a Vietnamese AIDS activist, a girl’s advocate from Mali, and a woman in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Sheila said she made this documentary because, "People tend to ignore something unless they see that it's going on with their own eyes. I really believe documentaries are going to be the new wave of the future because I think we’re in a transition phase in terms of technology. Well-told stories are powerful because they bring action.

In the past, I spent a lot of time going up to Capitol Hill, trying to convince congressmen and senators to pass legislation to alleviate global poverty. I have no doubt that if we simply went up there and showed them this film on global poverty, their reaction would be, “Okay. This is a no-brainer. Let’s pass the bill.” The link is http://www.apowerfulnoise.org/

Then earlier this week, Jacki Zehner's blog, Purse Pundit, mentions a documentary made by Abigail Disney called Pray the Devil Back to Hell that chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

How exciting that women have not only the courage, but the capital and confidence to get into this medium and take their causes very public.

Stories have always played an important part in women's lives and taking them to the big screen is a wonderful idea. There has to be a connection between women making documentaries and Kathryn Bigelow's academy award for the Hurt Locker. I found the movie quite disturbing but that was the idea behind it. War is hell. And it surely seemed that it was filmed like a documentary. Now, let's make sure that smaller but equally important films like Abigail and Sheila's are shown locally as well as nationally.
The link to Pray the Devil is http://www.praythedevilbacktohell.com/v3/

Women and Men: Investing and Giving

2010-03-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

An article in The New York Times Sunday, March 14, 2010 issue caught my attention. It was titled, "How Men's Overconfidence Hurts Them as Investors," and reminded me of the oft-mentioned question, "What if the Lehman Brothers Had Been the Lehman Sisters?" Would the Lehman sisters have been such risk takers as to have helped cause the recent downturn in our economy?

According to John Ameriks, head of Vanguard Investment Counseling and Research and a co-author of a recent study by Vanguard, "Male investors, as a group, appear to be overconfident." Perhaps in the uncertain market of the past few years, greater caution might have been advantageous.

The Vanguard study went on to conclude that during the recent financial crisis, men were more likely than women to trade--and to do so at the wrong times. In another study in 2001 titled, "Boys Will Be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence and Common Stock Investment," more than 35,000 households and their investing behavior were analyzed and men traded stocks nearly 50 percent more often than women. The Times article written by Jeff Somer, says this added trading drove up the men's costs and lowered their returns. "Numerous studies show that men are more prone to make this particular mistake than women," says Somer.

One can only wonder what might have happened during the economic downturn at our institutions and organizations if there were more women on boards, financial committees and as advisors? What would endowments and investments have looked like if more women had seats at the tables? Would there have been a better return with women involved?

You may ask, what does all this have to do with philanthropy? Well, we know that it takes more time for women than men to make a decision about giving. But once she's given, she remains loyal, just as when she invests. Yes, there is a great deal of relationship between investing and philanthropy. And gender makes a difference in both. Most large financial firms understand this and have been focusing on those differences and on women in particular. So too should non-profits. Not only because women make up over half of the U.S. population and control over half of the money, but because it seems women are better investors as well.

Bolder Giving in Extraordinary Times

2010-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Anne Ellinger has created a discussion about women's philanthropy called "Women and Philanthropy--What do you Think?" on her interactive blog available at www.boldergiving.com. After going to that page, look for the interactive site. Anne started the column with comments about the course sponsored last week by the Women's Philanthropy Institute and the New York Times Knowledge Network, "Women and Philanthropy: The Time is Now." I have entered some comments as has Margaret May Damen, author of Women, Wealth and Giving. The course forum moderated by Lisa Witter was extremely interesting and her questions and the panel answers very revealing and often not before discussed. Do check out the site and add your own comments about either the course or women's philanthropy generally.

Cyber Talk and Women's Philanthropy

2010-03-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz is the dynamo behind the Howard County Women's Giving Circle in Columbia, Maryland. She's also a Gen X'r and knows all about ways to approach women using the Internet. A couple of weeks ago the Circle celebrated its 9th birthday with a Power of the Purse celebration event. It was attended by over 200 women and they do know how to celebrate. I was fortunate to be the keynote speaker but the real focus was on what the Circle had accomplished in its nine years and the difference it has made in the community. Buffy has described all that was done to make this event a success and agreed to share it with everyone at:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs083/1011061323680/archive/1103173478784.html

The event featured purses created by local artists to represent the 6 C's + 3 of women's giving: Create, change, commit, connect, collaborate and celebrate plus control, confidence and courage.

"Philanthropy as an Expression of Feminism: Aligning a Traditionally Masculine Concept with a Decidedly Feminist Ideal"

2010-03-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

I met Betsy Duncan Diehl two weeks ago at a Power of the Purse event in Columbia, Maryland. She came up after my presentation and introduced herself and told me about the paper she is writing to complete her Master of Arts in the Humanities degree. I was fascinated by the topic as well as the writer.

Before me stood this lovely, statuesque young woman who could have been a model in addition to the director of annual giving at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

Betsy plans to have the paper completed sometime next month and said she would be happy to share it with you. Her email address is: diehl@hood.edu. But I just couldn't resist including the final section of her proposal to show how exciting her research will be for all of us interested in this important topic of women and philanthropy.

"I will use my concluding section of my research paper to reiterate the parallels discovered between philanthropy and feminism and explain the significance of this pairing in terms of professional fund raising. I will offer suggestions and recommendations as to how this research can translate into devising a more targeted and successful approach to engaging female donors with philanthropic organizations in a mutually beneficial partnership. I expect to discover that viewing philanthropy as an expression of feminism is not only beneficial to women, but rather beneficial to society at large due to the possibility of engaging a broader segment of the population in an activity that was once reserved for an elite group of patriarchal benefactors."

Women and Philanthropy: The Time is Now

2010-03-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

I was honored to take part in the course sponsored on by the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the New York Times Knowledge Network last week. It was an incredible journey from the earliest beginnings of women's philanthropy to the present and featured scores of interviews with women philanthropists and practitioners.

Some of the featured speakers were Jennifer Buffett, Jacki Zehner, Ellen Remmer, Barbara Dopkin, Sara Gould, Deborah Tannen and so many, many others who shared their wisdom as well as their doubts, their theories and their practices, but most of all, their joy of philanthropy.

I urge all of you to consider signing up for the course online by contacting Andrea Pactor at the Women's Philanthropy Institute. It is by far the most comprehensive treatment of this incredible subject and well worth the small amount of money it costs. Not only are there videos of speakers being interviewed by Lisa Witter, but a thorough syllabus and online activities as well. Congratulations to all involved, especially Debra Mesch, Executive Director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute and Associate Director, Andrea Pactor. It's a "Wow!"

Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World

2010-03-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

By Sondra Shaw-Hardy and Martha Taylor
With Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz

(Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint)

Coming to book stores this fall.

Excerpted from the preface:

Women and philanthropy, women’s philanthropy: how the meaning of those words has changed. When one of us, Martha Taylor, began talking about the subject in 1988, people often looked confused. Some even said that “women and philanthropy” was an oxymoron. Many others believed philanthropy was strictly associated with men because it was men who had the money. If women gave at all, it was to what their husbands or their families gave. So they said. From both her academic and practical perspectives, Martha knew that something was wrong with this philanthropic picture. Were women not giving? If so, why was that?

She began asking questions: Why weren’t women giving to their universities in the same numbers they were represented as students and alumna? Why were so many more men than women in positions of leadership within advancement? Why were so few buildings, programs and scholarships named after women? Why were schools of liberal arts, education, human ecology, social services and nursing not being funded to the same degree as business, engineering and athletics? Martha asked co-author Sondra Shaw-Hardy, a fundraising colleague in Madison, Wisconsin, to help her learn more. Together we set out to find answers.

We interviewed hundreds of women philanthropists and development officers throughout the country, conducted numerous focus groups and presented to scores of community and national organizations and institutions. The result, at the urging of Martha’s mother, Esther Hougen Taylor, was our first book, Reinventing Fundraising: Realizing the Potential of Women’s Philanthropy, published in 1995 by Jossey-Bass.

The Bold New Philanthropy

Philanthropy has changed a great deal in the last two decades. Even a few years ago, scarcely anyone was talking about passion, values, vision and responsibility. Now those terms and usage are commonplace. Now they mean women’s philanthropy. In effect, women’s philanthropy has led the way and “reinvented” fundraising.

But some still don’t understand that “women’s philanthropy” is no contradiction in terms. Too often women are still not taken seriously as philanthropists; and when they are, the ways women are approached to give don’t take into account how women give and what they care about.

We felt called upon to address these continuing issues, to spread an understanding that women now make up more than half the population and are perhaps the largest of their donor constituencies. We feel there’s a need to update the concepts of fundraising that best appeal to women and will lead to the creation of more women philanthropic leaders.

Add to this that most nonprofit computer systems are designed to credit only one donor—the man. And finally, women’s philanthropy has not yet become a mainstream term meaning, “shaping a better world.”

We also turned up other topics that people also wanted explored:

What is behind the women’s philanthropy movement?

In what ways have women changed philanthropy?

Has women’s philanthropy brought about social change? In what ways?

How can women donors’ loyalty be maintained after a gift has been made?

What ethnic and cultural differences are important in women’s giving? How are younger generations of women giving?

How can non-profit institutions develop more women donors and what does that mean to their future?

Are women accepting the power of their new status as philanthropic leaders?

How should women be encouraged to become philanthropic leaders and to encourage others to become leaders as well?

What might the world look like if women’s philanthropy was the accepted way for everyone to give?

Once again we set out after answers, approaching colleagues in the field, many of whom were working with women donors, developing different approaches and programs and eager to share their results.

Women philanthropists themselves were also extremely forthcoming. They talked to us about the joy they received from giving and the responsibility they felt to give to their communities, nation and the world. They shared stories quite different from ones we heard in the 1990s.

This time around, women were anxious to lead the way in philanthropy and to educate, inspire and encourage others as well. They were happy to be recognized for their gifts—to be role models for others. They had become bold about their philanthropy, not only in terms of large gifts but in daring, dauntless and audacious efforts to make a better world.

Much of what we record in Women and Philanthropy will become the norm for all future fundraising. Women’s philanthropy has reinvented fundraising and will continue to do so.

A Tour of the Book

Many, many topics bear on women’s philanthropy—values, passion, compassion, ideals, socialization, generation, gender and experience among them. Appreciating this is important to understanding how best to engage women as donors. We recommend reading Women and Philanthropy in its entirety, starting at the beginning. The chapters group themselves into four general themes: gender differences and potential, how women give and their motivations, reaching women donors and the impact of women’s philanthropy.

Each chapter includes examples of women philanthropists and their giving motivations, ways to apply the knowledge gained from each section and concludes with “Takeaways” summarizing the chapter material.

Acknowledging the Differences: Chapters 1 and 2 —Why women’s philanthropy is different and its importance to the future of nonprofits.

Chapter One describes gender differences in women and men’s actions, giving and communicating. Reasons for these differences are discussed as well as strategies to address and recognize these special traits and their importance and benefit to nonprofits.

Chapter Two documents women’s potential for giving and reviews the expansion of women in the workplace, their economic gains, increased career choices and educational achievements. This chapter describes how women have taken control of their finances and consequently their lives. It identifies the new woman philanthropist, how much she is giving and where. Chapter Two concludes with how one university invested in women and changed the culture of giving at the institution.

The How’s and Why’s of Women’s Philanthropy: Chapters 3 through 5 —How women give, what women want, and their characteristics are as donors.

Chapter Three looks at the modern women’s philanthropy movement and the media’s role in creating and shaping it. Stereotypes of women’s giving are detailed with ideas for overcoming any barriers that may still exist.

Chapter Four describes the motivations of women givers using the core 6 Cs: create, change, commit, connect, collaborate and celebrate, as well as the 3 new Cs that have resulted from women’s philanthropy: control, confidence and courage. It also suggests how to incorporate the Cs into development efforts.

Chapter Five features items issues that impact women’s giving, including life stages and life styles, with a particular emphasis on generation. Through stories and case studies from each generation, readers will learn how to approach women “of a certain age.”

Building Bridges to the Other Half: Chapters 6 through 9 — strategies to involve more women in philanthropic leadership and build life long relationships and loyalties.

Chapter Six contains important information about how to assess an organization’s readiness to better engage women donors: development office strategies; successful methods to reach women through the annual fund, major gifts, planned giving and other fundraising programs; and prospecting for women donors.

Chapter Seven describes the qualities that women bring to philanthropy and how those qualities can benefit nonprofits. The importance and benefits of including women in nonprofit leadership positions are contained in the chapter as well as suggestions for developing women leaders and philanthropists.

Chapter Eight is all about women’s philanthropic program development. The focus is on women’s philanthropic initiatives in higher education and giving circles. Explanations are provided of how the philosophies and characteristics of these programs are applicable to all other nonprofits as well.

Chapter Nine examines the five stages of women’s philanthropic journey and how women view nonprofits at each stage. A particular focus of the chapter is on donor education. A complete syllabus is provided using “best practices” and showing how best to present this new financial and philanthropic program to women.

The Future of Philanthropy: Chapters 10 and 11 — the impact and future of the women’s philanthropy movement.

Chapter Ten looks at how bold women are elevating philanthropy to new levels. Special attention is on women’s funds and increasing diversity in women’s philanthropy. New iterations of women’s giving are described as well as how they occurred: the women, the cause and the result.

Chapter Eleven addresses the need to institutionalize women’s philanthropy and speculates about how the world might look if women working together and with nonprofits used their particular traits, power and philanthropy to address the bracing issues of today.

Who Will Want to Read Women and Philanthropy

The book is intended for all those wanting to know more about philanthropy. It will appeal to all genders, races and diverse communities. It will be of particular interest to development officers, philanthropists, volunteer fundraisers, staff and board members of nonprofit organizations, foundations and corporate executives, fundraising consultants, women’s organizations, computer software firms, marketers, politicians and government officials, educators and anyone interested in the status, roles, responsibility and power of women in American society.