Philanthropy Roundtable’s Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence Joanne Florino kicked off Women’s History Month with a blog post for DonorsTrust entitled “Women Givin’ – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.” In this piece, Florino discusses female philanthropists of past and present, including MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates. While Scott and Gates have dominated much of the recent conversation around philanthropy, Florino says women have been involved in charitable giving since our country’s early days as a nation.
Below are excerpts from Florino’s “Women Givin’ – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” published by DonorsTrust:
“Although Scott and French Gates, both of whom are billionaires, will continue to draw headlines, women’s philanthropy has been a constant, but not well-known, factor in our nation’s history. Broadway has boosted awareness of the generosity of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, who, left destitute by her late husband, used an inheritance from her father to help found New York’s first private orphanage in 1806.
Generous women also confronted controversy over the years, as they were prominent in leading and funding the temperance, abolition, and women’s suffrage movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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The diversity of women’s philanthropy has continued in the 21st century. While Scott and Gates lean toward organizations driving social change on a national—and sometimes global—level, conservative women are drawn to enhancing opportunity and quality of life locally.
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As women take control of more wealth, and, as that wealth passes to new generations, it will be crucial to continue studying women’s charitable giving. Will the trends noted above continue? Will we see new or quite different trends? Whatever the outcome, women are poised to make a resounding impact on charitable giving in the decades ahead.”
Please continue reading “Women Givin’ – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” at DonorsTrust.
