Women more likely to donate than men

PJ staff report | December 23, 2010

Across all charity types, women are at least as likely as men to donate, and for eight of 11 categories, they are significantly more likely to give, a new study says.

For the following charitable causes, women are significantly more like to give than men -- religious institutions; improving communities and neighborhoods; basic necessities; youth; education; health care; international causes; and combined purposes like United Ways or Catholic Charities.

And in the areas of the environment, the arts and a category comprising all other causes, women are just as likely to give as men, the study says.

The gap in likelihood to give is highest for international causes, with women 55 percent more likely to give than men, followed by community causes, where women are 51 percent more likely to donate.

"Women and men are both engaged," says Debra Mesch, director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "But their giving priorities are different. Additional research will help us better understand why women are more likely to give to certain types of organizations."

Unlike many previous giving studies, which typically survey married household, researchers surveyed only single heads-of-household in an effort to eradicate static around gender roles.

Researchers also controlled for differences in age, wealth, education and other factors.

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