The 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women's Philanthropy and the Impact of Women's Giving Networks
More than 80 percent of high-net-worth women say they give to charity because they believe their gift will make a difference or because the organization uses donations efficiently, compared with about 70 percent of men, a new report from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds. Commissioned by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, The 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women's Philanthropy and the Impact of Women's Giving Networks (31 pages, PDF) also found that women are more likely than men to donate as a way of giving back to the community and have greater confidence than men in the ability of nonprofits to solve domestic or global problems. At the same time, women are far more risk averse than men in their philanthropic investments. In addition, the report found that among wealthy women who are married or living with a partner, 39 percent report being the sole decision maker regarding charitable giving, while 48 percent say they are equal partners in decision making.
