Understanding the role gender plays in philanthropy empowers organizations to engage their donors most effectively and increase their giving. This is true throughout the year and particularly on #GivingTuesday, a day designated to maximize philanthropic giving. Since it began in 2012, #GivingTuesday has grown significantly in participation numbers and total dollars donated. #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving, provides a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to incorporate nontraditional fundraising methods into their efforts and to engage with donors online. For nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, a successful #GivingTuesday requires understanding how and where donors tend to give.
Previous research by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) shows that gender is an important factor to consider in fundraising – women and men often differ in their giving patterns and how they respond to fundraising appeals. Focusing on whether women and men give or behave differently specifically on #GivingTuesday adds to the understanding of how and why women and men give, providing fundraisers with valuable information that can help further personalize their donor outreach.
Early studies on #GivingTuesday have focused primarily on giving overall as well as general aspects of #GivingTuesday, such as its growth, its social media impact, and its attraction to millennial donors. However, few assessments have looked thoroughly into how, why, and where women participate in #GivingTuesday in comparison to men.
Finding 1: Women are more likely than men to give on #GivingTuesday.
A few reasons women are more likely than men to give on #GivingTuesday include differences in how they use social media and technology, and how they participate in collaborative giving. This finding is new to the existing body of research on #GivingTuesday, and noteworthy in the study of gender differences – and similarities – in charitable giving.
Finding 2: Giving goes up sharply on #GivingTuesday for both men and women.
As a designated day of giving, #GivingTuesday effectively harnesses the power of social media and the timing of holiday-inspired charity to increase philanthropic donations.
Finding 3: Women and men give approximately equal amounts on #GivingTuesday; women’s greater participation means greater total donations from women.
Though women and men give approximately the same gift size on average, the number of women giving is much greater than the number of men who give.
Finding 4: Women and men give to similar types of organizations on #GivingTuesday.
There is little difference among the types of organizations that receive donations from men and women on #GivingTuesday, though it is interesting to note that the percentage of gifts from women increases for several subsectors – including education and health – over the percentage received from women during the rest of the year.
#GivingTuesday is a powerful example of the positive effects of social media and its impact on charitable giving around the world. This innovative movement also proves to be a valuable case study for how women are driving philanthropy across all sectors. This research can help organizations customize their fundraising appeals on #GivingTuesday by helping them be more mindful of gender differences in giving habits and leverage that knowledge online. #GivingTuesday influences the number of donations given and the number of nonprofits receiving donations. Research suggests that participation in #GivingTuesday will continue to grow, highlighting the importance of utilizing new tactics to maximize giving on this day and beyond.
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