Women More Charitable Than Men, Study Says

A study conducted by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, which is part of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, questioned single men, single women, and couples five years prior to retirement and five years after retirement. The data found that women and couple overwhelmingly donated more time and money to charitable organizations than single men, though the numbers in all three categories dropped slightly after they retired.

90% of couples gave to charity before retirement, compared to 78% of single women and 68% of single men. After retiring, 82% of couples still dedicated money to giving, while 69% of single women and 40% of single men continued their philanthropic ways.

“Women’s deeper engagement and loyalty to the causes they support may lead to more sustained giving, which helps explain their more stable levels of giving around retirement,” the Women’s Philanthropy Institute said. “Women’s and men’s life journeys may differ; women often assume more responsibility for parenting and caregiving along the journey, and women may have less in retirement savings. Despite this fact, charitable giving remains a high priority for women whether single or married.”

See Karen DeMasters, Women More Charitable Than Men, Study Says, Financial Advisor, July 24, 2018.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.