High-income women more likely to increase their giving during challenging economic times because they perceive a greater need.

Hot off the presses this afternoon is a most interesting new report from the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Gender Differences in Charitable Giving 2009.

The study surveyed high-wealth men and women who had given at least $1k last year to charity.  It found significant differences:

Women are more likely than men to respond to the recession by giving more generously.  When asked if they would typically give more in challenging times “because the need is greater,”  35% of the women responded “yes” and only 25% of men agreed.

This means that we should focus specific appeals toward this group of donors: high wealth women who are already connected to our cause.

Here’s the pitch:

‘In these challenging times, we urgently need your help more than ever!  (you must create urgency in every appeal you do!) More and more people need our help and we are unable to reach them because our resources are strained right now.”

“We have stretched hard yet we are still having to turn needy people away.“  (or we are having to lay off our ballet dancers and cut back productions; or we are having to turn away accomplished students because our scholarship funds are low etc etc).

“We hope we can count on you – one of our most steadfast supporters – to help us help others.  Yours is the gift that can make a huge difference to people right here in our community.”  etc etc etc.

That’s how you do it right now.  You have to be frank, specific and urgent.  Donors want to help, they just need to be invited and asked in the right way.

Have a great weekend! I’m off to my garden before it gets too hot!

Tagged as: women philanthropy