It's that time of year, when many of us are thinking of the things we have to be grateful for and are turning to end-of-year giving.  In recent research from the Center for Women's Leadership on woman-led businesses in Massachusetts, one of the findings that struck me was the link between the employment of women and the philanthropic activity of the firm.  Our research shows that the greater the percentage of women employees, the more frequently a firm participates in philanthropy throughout the year.  This finding fits the general trends in charitable and social cause initiatives, which typically involve a greater number of women than men as organizers of events, volunteers, and participants. Women are generally more active in philanthropic organizing and give of their time and their money with high frequency.  But the levels of money donated by women usually fall short of that contributed by men, owing in large part to economic and social status.  Women may care passionately and prioritize charitable giving, but they do not always have the resources to provide high level funding for their causes.  Through corporate organized philanthropy, women can magnify their individual impact, by helping to shape the direction of philanthropic activity of the firm as well as the level of its collective contributions. 

As women advance in their professional lives, gaining stature and greater economic clout, the expectation is that they will also be able to be bolder in the funding levels they contribute to causes for which they share empathy and passion.  I've written in this blog before about giving women new reasons to pursue business leadership and entrepreneurship - the wealth creation possibilities that are open to them not solely for themselves but for the employees they will engage and the communities in which their firms will be taxpayers and donors.  It stands to reason that as more and more women achieve greater levels of professional advancement and economic wherewithal, they will be in important positions to serve on non-profit boards, act as major donors, and provide leadership gifts to a wide range of philanthropies.  In so doing, there will be a significant social payoff for their accomplishments.  As the advancement of women in the various professions gives them access to new levels of economic status and decision-making influence, I'm hopeful that they will use those benefits to make an even bigger difference with respect to philanthropy.

P.S.  Should those of you reading this be so inclined, the Center for Women's Leadership would benefit greatly from your charitable donation to support CWL's research, educational programs and website, including this blog.  Why not combine your holiday shopping with the gift of giving - we'll send a card to whomever you choose to honor!