About this Study

Men and women give differently.  They have different motivations for giving and different approaches to giving.  The Women's Philanthropy Institute believes that understanding these differences will help people recognize the significant impact of gender on philanthropy. Substantive, unbiased, empirical research is the best foundation for understanding these differences.  

Women Give 2010 shares research in two separate reports. The first report, issued in October 2010, addressed whether there are differences in philanthropic giving between men and women – across income levels. The second report, issued in conjunction with the TED Women conference, examines causes women support. The data used in these studies is from the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS), the best and most accurate resource for measuring giving and volunteering in the United States. 

Significantly, these studies analyze and compare philanthropic giving by single women relative to single men. This allows for a more pure understanding of the gender differences in philanthropy.