For many years, charity has overlooked a significant area: women and girls.
Despite representing more than half of the population, groups focused on their well-being, security, and prospects have consistently received just a small portion of charitable contributions. In the past, under 2% of U.S. donations were directed towards issues related to women and girls, less than 2 cents for every philanthropic dollar.
But a new studyResearch from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy indicates that donations have recently surpassed that threshold, even if just by a small margin.
The newest Women & Girls Index (WGI), the sole extensive database monitoring nonprofit groups dedicated to women and girls, utilizes the latest IRS information from 2022 and 2023, providing insight into how donation trends are evolving following the pandemic and other significant national occurrences.
The figures indicate that contributions reached $11.9 billion in 2022, accounting for 2.18% of total U.S. charitable donations. In 2023, donations stayed robust at $11.4 billion, or 2.04% — still above levels seen prior to the pandemic.
Experts characterize the achievement as significant, yet they highlight that charitable contributions remain strongly influenced by economic factors and societal developments, which can rapidly alter donation trends.
" The Women and Girls Index provides a clear, evidence-based perspective on how philanthropy addresses issues affecting women and girls," said Jacqueline Ackerman, director of WPI and one of the report's contributors.
The results indicate that generosity can increase rapidly following significant events, yet it also varies annually. Our objective is to provide these data openly so that donors, non-profits, and researchers can gain a clearer understanding and effectively manage this environment.
A surge after Dobbs
The data indicates a distinct trigger: The Supreme Court's 2022 ruling inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wadeand concluded federal safeguards for abortion rights.
In a short period, state legislatures throughout the nation enacted prohibitions or limitations, while some others sought to incorporate reproductive rights into legislation. This legal instability triggered an immediate charitable reaction.
Contributions to reproductive health and family planning organizations increased by almost 40% in 2022, as reported by the WPI study. Numerous local and regional abortion funds experienced their funding doubling or tripling. For instance, the Chicago Abortion Fund raised its annual budget from $160,000 to $8 million as women from states with strict laws came to Illinois for medical care.
Nevertheless, the increase in funding was not only directed at local organizations.
One of the biggest individual donations in history to a women's health group saw Mackenzie Scott give $275 million to Planned Parenthood that same year. In 2023, Scott initiated an "open call" for local non-profit organizations, eventually distributing $640 million to 361 groups, most of which concentrate on issues related to women, gender equality, and social justice.
Experts noted that instances of national reflection frequently influence charitable contributions, with the Dobbs ruling specifically generating a sense of urgency and awareness that captured donors' interest.
Progress with a catch
Although 2022 represented a record high, the pace started to decrease in 2023.
Contributions to organizations focused on women and girls decreased slightly to $11.4 billion, which reduced their portion of total donations to 2.04%. However, this amount was still significantly higher than the average of approximately 1.8% over the past decade.
A slight decrease might indicate both donor fatigue and a change in focus, as charitable priorities have expanded since the pandemic to encompass climate issues, democracy, and humanitarian support. However, the more significant worry is hidden below the surface: inflation.
After accounting for inflation, donations to organizations focused on women and girls decreased by 2% from 2021 to 2023. Without the increase in funding related to reproductive health, the drop was more significant: 4.6%.
This indicates that numerous nonprofits focused on women and girls experienced reduced purchasing ability in 2023 compared to prior to the increase.
Although there may be a noticeable increase in donations, higher expenses resulted in many women's and girls' organizations being forced to accomplish more with fewer resources.
Beyond reproductive rights
Even though reproductive health was a major topic in the news and received significant funding in 2022, the Women & Girls Index highlights a wider range of organizations working toward gender equality.
Out of the 57,165 organizations listed in the index, approximately 3.6% of all U.S. charities, many concentrate on topics that seldom appear on the front page: guiding young girls, assisting victims of violence, advancing studies related to women's health, and encouraging leadership in less represented areas.
In 2023, the main areas of funding included:
- Health and family planning: $2.2 billion
- Services for women and girls (like YWCA branches): $1.8 billion
- Women's health groups (such as the Fistula Foundation and the Society for Women’s Health Research): $1.8 billion
Other key areas — including women's education, job opportunities, and activism — experienced small but consistent improvements. However, the overall funding provided to organizations focused on women and girls remains significantly lower than in other areas of charitable giving: religion ($146 billion), human services ($91 billion), and education ($88 billion).
Despite the 2022 increase, organizations focused on women and girls still get just 2 cents for every dollar donated to charity.
The fragility of progress
Although there have been recent improvements, the report highlights a structural weakness: Almost 20% of total income for organizations focused on women and girls is sourced from government funding, which is double the percentage found in the broader nonprofit sector.
Reduced government support often places these groups in a challenging situation. They are regularly asked to fill essential service gaps, such as childcare and domestic violence shelters, even though they have less financial cushion compared to bigger or more varied nonprofit organizations.
Some specialists believe that private donors can significantly contribute to the stability of the sector by offering flexible, multi-year grants instead of funding specific projects. This kind of adaptability enables nonprofit organizations to respond to evolving requirements and focus on achieving lasting results.
Turning data into direction
The Women & Girls Index is a component of the larger initiative called the Equitable Giving Lab, which examines philanthropy focused on communities that have historically lacked resources, such as LGBTQ+ organizations, communities of color, and—starting later this year—military and veteran groups.
By tracking where charitable funds are directed — and where they aren't — the lab assists donors and officials in recognizing ongoing gaps and allocating resources more fairly.
Studies conducted by the institute reveal that data not only outlines the issue but also highlights potential solutions, enabling donors to grasp how to maintain advancements past urgent emergencies.
From moment to movement
The 2022 increase showed that supporters will respond when women's rights are at stake. The current challenge, according to Ackerman, is transforming that feeling of urgency into sustained funding.
Charitable efforts shouldn't depend only on responding to immediate needs. Ongoing assistance is crucial for maintaining advancements in women's health, education, and financial independence. Reaching the 2% mark is a significant achievement, yet since women and girls constitute more than half of the population, there remains a lot of effort required.
Breaking through the 2% threshold for the first time is a significant achievement in over a decade of data," said Jacqueline Ackerman, director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute and one of the report's contributors. "At the same time, the rapid change in 2023 highlights the importance of considering the broader context — how donations change over time in reaction to economic factors, major occurrences, and societal shifts.
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Five key insights for donors and non-profit organizations
The Women and Girls Index 2025provides a glimpse of advancement — and a cautionary note on how delicate that progress may be. Here's what business leaders, donors, and nonprofit managers need to be aware of:
- Two percent represents a significant achievement, not the end goal.For the first time, groups representing women and girls received slightly more than 2% of total charitable donations. Maintaining progress past this level will need ongoing, intentional backing.
- Crisis provides a burst of energy — but cannot maintain it.The increase in donations related to reproductive rights after the Dobbs decision highlighted how donors come together during times of crisis. The current challenge is to transform this spontaneous giving into planned support that helps organizations remain strong between these urgent moments.
- Inflation erodes gains.The amount given to organizations focused on women and girls decreased by 2% from 2021 to 2023 when adjusted for inflation. Unrestricted donations may help close this gap.
- Government support can be a two-sided issue.Women's and girls' groups receive approximately 20% of their funding from government grants, which is twice the average for nonprofits, making them susceptible to shifts in policy and financial reductions.
- Gender equality concerns all people.Supporting women and girls enhances the labor force, healthcare services, and the flow of new ideas, generating widespread positive impacts throughout the economy.
Key findings
- Contributions to organizations focused on women and girls surpassed 2% of charitable donations, hitting 2.18% in 2022 and 2.04% in 2023, amounting to over $11 billion in annual support.
- This increase was primarily fueled by a 40% rise in donations to reproductive health organizations, occurring alongside theDobbsdecisions and significant contributions from donors such as MacKenzie Scott.
- When adjusted for inflation, overall donations directed towards women and girls decreased during the two-year span, indicating that increases in dollar amounts did not match growing expenses.