Fidelity study examines women and philanthropy

As they create their own wealth and continue to outlive men, women are shaping the future of philanthropy, concludes a new study from the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, which also found that high-income women are more likely than other donors to give publicly, rather than anonymously.

The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund was founded in 1991 by the Boston mutual funds giant Fidelity Investments, and the gift fund's study examined the giving behaviors and attitudes of more than 1,000 adults who donated at least $1,000 in 2007 and a subset that gave more than $5,000 that year.

High-income women "are more likely to use giving vehicles such as donor-advised funds, charitable-remainder trusts, and private foundations; they are most likely to use securities for donations; and they also are most likely to want guidance from a financial advisor regarding charitable giving," the charitable gift fund said in a press release.

"Our research indicates that, in many ways, women are shaping the future of philanthropy," Sarah C. Libbey, president of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, said in a statement. "Women have always had a hand in their household's charitable outreach. But that role is evolving as women increasingly create their own wealth and become the beneficiaries of wealth transfers because they live longer. As a result, women are stepping up to take on more philanthropic leadership roles. Women are using a broad circle of influencers in their charitable giving and they are passionate about instilling the value of philanthropy in the next generation. We, and other nonprofit organizations, should pay attention to this very influential group of donors."

To read a press release on the gift fund's study, please click here.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)