TIME TO GO FOR THE GOLD

There’s a triple whammy of sex, money and power coming together, just waiting for women to harness in order to achieve worldwide change and leadership.

First, women are sitting on Fort Knox. High-net worth individuals in this country are increasingly female.

Next, more women are shunning the Prince Charming syndrome to manage their own finances and steward their own investments and wealth. Reading a balance sheet is hardly a male preserve anymore.

Third, and most notably, as the global population ages and women take control of the purse, they are gaining philanthropic profile and forcefully making a difference on their own terms. Women now influence nonprofit endowments and make decisions on the boards. Fundraisers from organizations large and small now are eyeing the growing cohort of wealthy women. Many nonprofits are rejiggering marketing campaigns to become more women-friendly while training staff to redefine “the ask,” because women donors typically rebuff the direct approach.

Women’s deepening engagement in philanthropy is having an impact on social policy, the choice of grant awards, program development, nonprofit management, fundraising and even grantor-grantee relationships.
next steps:
– leveraging resources and skills in smart collaborations so as to avoid wasting efforts and momentum

– learning how to be strategic so as to define impact that can be met and measured

– making noise in the meeting rooms, so as to influence decisions that shift the levers of power

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