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“The equality agenda which is still far from complete is nonetheless radically altering the contributions made by women to almost every sphere of life in Ireland, among them philanthropy… the scene is set for the emergence of more and more women in a position financially to choose a civic leadership role through philanthropy.” (Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland, April 2010).
It has been observed that while the relationship between women and philanthropy has always been strong, it has not necessarily been visible. So while women have been strongly associated with volunteering and charitable fundraising for centuries, perceptions still exist of philanthropy as a “man’s world”[ii].
The backdrop to a growing interest in women’s philanthropy has been the rapid socio economic changes of recent decades and the predictions that women’s economic and social power will continue to grow. It is estimated that women will inherit 70% of the $41 trillion in intergenerational transfers of wealth.
Trends include a growing interest on the part of the charitable sector to engage women as donors, an emerging literature around gender differences in charitable giving and the preponderance of female led Giving Circles (sometimes likened to a cross between a book club and an investment club).
It is increasingly recognised that when women and girls prosper, entire communities succeed. “Investing in women and respecting their human rights is the surest way to lift communities, companies and countries and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”[iii]. In parallel, there has been a growing interest in the targeting of philanthropy to benefit women and girls, as manifested by the emergence of Women’s Funds across the world, as well as high profile campaigns such as Women Moving Millions.
For its part, The Community Foundation for Ireland works to encourage philanthropy among women as well as improving the lives of women through providing grants to organisations that tackle women’s issues in Ireland. Since setting up its Women’s Fund in 2010, particular priorities have included preventing violence against women and also empowering women to take leadership roles in communities.
In total, over 300 grants have been issued providing funding of over €3.3m to projects where women and girls were the primary beneficiary. The grants include a combination of large scale impact grants (for example, multi annual support to SAFE Ireland, the national social change agency working on domestic violence in Ireland), through to small grants in support of local women’s refugees and leadership initiatives across communities throughout Ireland.
The Community Foundation for Ireland’s experience of grant making and operating the Women’s Fund provides strong evidence of the need for more philanthropic funding, with all open grants having been significantly oversubscribed since 2010.
Positively, The Community Foundation for Ireland has seen a significant increase in the number of women engaging in philanthropy. Since 2015, 16 female led Donor Advised Funds (a charity fund set up by an individual, family, corporate or other entity) have been set up within The Community Foundation for Ireland. They have collectively invested over €10m to date in supporting charitable causes that include education, penal reform, homelessness and many other worthwhile causes.
Who are these donors? In keeping with a strong wish for privacy amongst families and individuals who donate through The Community Foundation for Ireland, they tend to be low key and private. They have often had a windfall gain through the sale of a business or an inheritance or in a number of cases have set up their fund to give with other family members or a group of friends.
Within The Community Foundation for Ireland, women are also key decision makers in their family’s philanthropy; with a particular interest in the idea of family legacy and in engaging the next generation and this is manifested in an active engagement and leadership by women in many of CFI’s family funds. This has been particularly evident during the Covid Crisis with many women leading their families to taking a more structured and purposeful approach to “giving back”, wanting to involve the next generation in order to pass on family values and often wanting to help a charitable cause or project which has impacted directly on their family’s lives (for example, supporting youth mental health in their county, supporting educational disadvantage or addressing an illness that has affected their family).
Such trends mirror international trends where women are playing a growing role in philanthropy as donors in their own right, as key decision makers in relation to family philanthropy and increasingly leaving charitable legacies.
Whilst the Foundation is building a track record in working with female philanthropists, there is significant potential to increase women’s engagement and visibility in the philanthropic field. If you would like to know how to go about setting up a Donor Advised Fund or leaving a legacy to The Community Foundation for Ireland, or indeed, if you would just like to have a general chat about philanthropy, we would be delighted to talk with you at any stage.
Jackie Harrison
Director of Philanthropy
The Community Foundation for Ireland
Contact Jackie: JHarrison@foundation.ie