Give What You've Got: Helping Women By Donating Time, Resources, Energy
You can decide the form of philanthropy that makes the most sense for you.
Very few women have the resources of Melinda Gates to commit billions to causes they believe in. But every woman can have a cause to believe in and commit to it.
“Very few women have the resources of @Melindagates to commit billions to causes they believe in. But every woman can have a cause to believe in and #commit to.”
That commitment can include pooling together small donations for a larger impact, donating valuable time and services and volunteering time to be a board advisor, mentor or someone who gives her professional acumen and services to help the cause and organization for free.
The reason it is necessary, is because there is a gender giving gap.
“The reason women committing to causes is necessary is because there is a gender #GivingGap. #GiveBack #SupportWomen”
Join Take The Lead November 12, 6:30-7:30 pm ET for the live Virtual Happy Hour, "Giving Back With Gratitude: Making A Difference," with guests Tamra Ryan, CEO of Women's Bean Project, and Mae Whiteside, President and CEO of CKL Engineers, LLC. Register here.
Stanford Social Innovation Review reports, “According to a study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute and Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, women’s and girls’ groups received just 1.6 percent of U.S. based charitable giving by foundations and religious groups in 2016. The share of U.S. foundation funding for general operating support to foreign groups that engage in broad-based advocacy for gender equality dropped dramatically between 2002 and 2013, from 30 percent to 15 percent.”
Read more in Take The Lead on women in philanthropy
Fast Company reports, “Women’s Philanthropy Institute just launched the Women and Girls Index, a public database of the country’s charities dedicated largely to women’s causes or that are female-led collectives trying to make change from their own perspective. Out of the more than 1.3 million active charities, only 45,000 are doing this work. That’s just 3.3% of the nonprofit sector. These groups received $6.3 billion in donations from donors between 2012 and 2015.”
At the end of each year, nonprofits, foundations and organizations seek funding for Giving Tuesday, as well as end of the year solicitations. These can be overwhelming, particularly since so many causes may align with your values, are deserving and in need of your help.
Read more in Take The Lead from Gloria Feldt on the power of giving
So how do you decide what and how to give back? Take The Lead offers a guide to effective giving to women’s leadership causes and issues.
“At the end of each year, nonprofits, foundations and organizations seek funding on #GivingTuesday. @Takeleadwomen offers a guide to effective giving to women’s #leadership causes and issues. ”
Do the research. If you are starting from scratch on your giving, or are diving deeper into your philanthropy, research topics that you specifically want to engage in that align with your values as a leader. Are you interested in spaces that concern training young women in STEM for instance, or do you want to do more about veterans’ issues? You can start by locally searching for groups or look to national organizations, then seek answers as to how you can become involved. Make sure the history of the organization is pristine in its leadership, spending and alliances—that means no financial scandals, no harassment claims clouding the organization. You want to be associated with a cause that is not tainted.
“Do the #research. If you are starting from scratch on your giving, research topics that you specifically want to engage in that align with your values. #GivingTuesday #GiveSmart”
Decide what you can give and be specific about your offer. Can you host a fundraiser in your home and provide the refreshments? Can you give a speech at a fundraiser or event or offer your workspace for a gathering? If you are able to set aside time regularly, you can perhaps offer your accounting or editorial services, or even donate products or services that the organization can place in an auction.
“Decide what you can give and be specific about your offer. #GivingTuesday #Advice #Philanthropy”
Do what feels authentic to you. Carrie Rich, co-founder and CEO of The Global Good Fund writes in Forbes, “Be honest with yourself. What does philanthropic success look like? You’ve thought about what success looks like for your company. Defining what success looks like is equally relevant and important for your philanthropy. Dig deep and ask yourself: What motivates you personally? What motivates your employees and customers? If you’re stuck, think about who you admire most in your company, in your family and among your friends. Why do you admire these people? Most likely, the people you admire contribute to the world beyond themselves by helping others. Learn how they chose their philanthropic focus to help you identify the impact you seek to create.”
Read more in Take The Lead on women in philanthropy
Ask for reports on outcomes. I am an advisor on five nonprofit boards and know that the reporting varies at each organization from minimal to highly specific and frequent. You want to know the impact your efforts have. If you are unable to attend regular meetings, ask for the minutes and the financial reports to be sent to you and follow up to make sure that what you are giving is making a difference. You may not see a huge impact at first, so be patient. SSIR reports,“To support true change, funders must accept that the process is gradual, and support it over the long haul. This means providing grassroots and national women’s organizations with flexible long-term operating support, and refraining from harmful stipulations, such as those that prohibit the use of funds for conference participation or convenings.”
“Ask for reports on outcomes. You want to know the #impact your efforts have. You may not see a huge impact at first, so be #patient. #Nonprofit #Philanthropy”
Partner with a friend in donation. Whether you choose to literally join economic forces, or you and a friend both volunteer for the same organization, it is better in bigger numbers. Fortune reports, “Organizations like SheEO offer a low financial commitment and pool women’s funds to support women-owned businesses around the globe. Portfolia Funds channels a $10,000 minimum investment into 10 high-potential entrepreneurial companies chosen by experts. Even if only one is a unicorn, your money still supports women entrepreneurs who are often creating high-paying jobs for fellow women.”
“Partner with a friend in #donation. Join economic forces, or both volunteer for the same organization— it is better in bigger numbers. #FriendsWhoDonate ”
Whatever you do, know that your incentivized giving can make a difference and create short-term as well as long-term change in the lives of women and girls.
“Whatever you do, know that your incentivized #giving can make a difference and create short-term as well as long-term change in the lives of women and girls. #WomenInvestors”
Fortune reports, “The increased participation of women investors may have positive effects beyond the companies they fund—if they’re intentional about how they invest. A 2018 study by Indiana University’s Women’s Philanthropy Institute about the donor habits of high-net-worth women found that women philanthropists have an eye toward driving systemic change through funding.”
"Women can be powerful agents of change with their philanthropy, and their values and goals are often shaped by the societal experiences of being female," Elizabeth Dale, a professor at Seattle University, who worked on the study, tells Fortune.
Suzanne Lerner, co-founder and president of fashion brand Michael Stars, and supporter of Take The Lead, tells Philanthropy Women, “There is a perception that philanthropy is about having a lot of money to give away. The first thing I tell them is that philanthropy is not just about giving money. Don’t get me wrong, writing a check, whatever the amount, is important. But giving of yourself matters just as much. Over the years, I have supported organizations in many different ways by serving on boards, making my network available, building partnerships with my company, and simply showing up and helping.”
