Woman’s Philanthropy Institute Looks at Nonprofits Dedicated to Women and Girls

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has released a new index that quantifies the number of charities in the United States dedicated to women and girls and the amount of charitable giving they receive.

The index identified 45,000 U.S. charities that are dedicated to serving primarily women and girls or are collectives of women and girls that serve general philanthropic purposes. Organizations dedicated to women and girls make up 3.3 percent of all nonprofit organizations.

In 2016, these organizations received a collective total of $6.3 billion in charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. This was about 1.6 percent of all donations. Women’s and girls’ organizations that focus on general women’s health receive the largest amount of philanthropic support ($1.2 billion in 2016). Women’s and girls’ organizations addressing reproductive health and family and gender-based violence also receive large amounts of charitable giving.

“These nonprofits achieve powerful results, driving significant progress for women and girls while operating with lower levels of philanthropic support and fewer staff resources than many other charities,” said Andrea Pactor, interim director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Pactor is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., She earned a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Michigan and a second master’s degree in philanthropic studies at Indiana University.