Philanthropy Survey 1999/2000: A Preview of Results
Two years ago WID adopted an expanded mission statement to promote
the advancement of our members and the importance of philanthropy. To
help WID members focus on the importance of philanthropy and to keep
them apprised of developments in philanthropy, a new committee,
chaired by Dagmar Kohring, formed in March 1999. Current members
include Joan Bragen, Mary K. Eliot, Margaret Herrick and Deanne Morse,
as well as Anne Cowie, President, and Barbara Creeden, Managing
Director. The mission of the Philanthropy Committee is not only to
promote the importance of philanthropy but also to encourage women to
be proactive leaders in charitable giving. In June 1999 the Committee
set the following objectives for future work: to take a leading role
in forming cooperative ventures with like-minded professional,
business and other groups and individuals to promote philanthropy; and
to engage a broader spectrum of women and families in philanthropic
endeavors. And to accomplish this through education, surveys, studies,
programs and activities in cooperation with other WID committees, as
well as through networking and public relations campaigns.
As the first order of business in WID's 20th Anniversary year, the
Philanthropy Committee chose to conduct an anonymous benchmark survey
of the entire WID membership in November. The goal is to survey
philanthropic giving patterns of our members, in addition to seeking
information about how much we, as Women In Development, raise. And to
create a baseline for future surveys and studies in philanthropy, for
comparisons with other groups, and for media outreach.
With the first 150 survey returns in hand now, here is a preview of
philanthropic attitudes and behaviors of Women in Development:
- We make our earliest philanthropic commitments or contributions
around age 12.
- 32% of us make a yearly budget for our charitable giving.
- Most of us give between 3-4% of our gross annual income; the
highest givers among us give up to 20%.
- The amount of our average annual gift ranges from $20-$5000, with
the median gift at $100.
- The amount of the largest gift we made to a single organization was
$500 on average, with a low of $40 and a high in the 6 figures. This
broke down by age as follows: 35 or younger=$562 mean; age 36-49=$1607
mean; and age 50 or older=$5620.
- We give on average to 6 organizations, with a low of 1 and a high
of 64.
- 79% of us said that the number of organizations we give to varies
from year to year.
- When asked what factors influence our giving, 88% said that the
cause was most important, 47% cited the case for support, 23% said
family influence was very important, 13% said friends and 3% cited tax
advantages or deductions/or coworkers.
- When asked to what kinds of organizations we give, 71% said
human/social services, 61% private university/college, 39% museum, 39%
religious organization, 33% primary/secondary school, 29%
cultural/historical organization (excluding performing arts), and 27%
said environmental organization.
- When asked if you give as a family, individual or both, 50% of us
stated individual, 37% said both, and 12% gave their gifts as a
family.
- 73% of us expect our giving to increase over the next 3-5 years,
25% expect it to remain the same.
- 54% of WID respondents serve on nonprofit boards for organizations
other than the one which employs us.
- 77% of us do fundraising or volunteer for organizations other than
the one which employs us.
- When asked in what ways we give to charity, 78% said in response to
direct mail, 66% gave in membership dues or through subscriptions, 65%
gave time as volunteers, 56% gave unrestricted gifts, 47% gave in
response to telephone appeals, 38% in response to face-to-face
solicitation, 33% gave unrestricted gifts, 33% gave to the United Way,
19% gave restricted gifts, 8% gave to a community foundation, and 1%
gave to a donor advised fund.
- When asked how we give to charity, 98% give cash/check, 37% give by
payroll deduction, 31% give via credit/debit card, 10% give personal
property, 7% give securities/stock, 5% give planned gifts, and 4% give
by electronic/automatic transfer.
- 22% of WID members have included nonprofits in their will.
- But 56% intend to include nonprofits in their will.
Thank you all, again, for completing your survey questionnaires so
diligently! Your prompt response was most appreciated. And just to let
you know - a more detailed analysis of findings, including professional
information as well as organizational and personal data, will be
mailed to all members in February.
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