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Introduction

Over the past 30 years, women have emerged on the philanthropic landscape as a visible and bold presence. They are changing the face of philanthropy and are transforming society around the world. Today’s reality is that women, strengthened by increasing economic power and education, are as likely as men to be philanthropists and to lead the most influential foundations and nonprofit organizations. Yet, the research literature on women’s philanthropic giving is lagging behind the reality of what is happening in practice around the world. Recently, however, interest in understanding how and why women give has grown exponentially—particularly over the past decade--prompting researchers to examine gender issues in philanthropy from new angles. These research findings suggest that a more proactive, strategic engagement of women in philanthropy will unleash new human and financial resources for the public good.

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the empirical literature that address women’s giving and philanthropic behavior. Although there is a substantial literature on giving across multiple disciplines, to date, there is no review of the research that specifically addresses gender differences in giving and philanthropy. This is important empirical research for those working in the field of philanthropy. Because women, on average, live longer than men, women will end up in charge of much of the $41 trillion expected to pass from generation to generation over the next fifty years. Furthermore, recent research reveals the increasing role that women play in economic decision-making (Kamas, Preston, & Baum, 2008). The more we understand gender differences in giving, the better informed we will be in meeting today’s challenges and to prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities.

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