Giving to Women’s and Girls’ Organizations Surpassed 2% of U.S. Philanthropy in 2022 and 2023, New Report Shows
The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy today released the 2025 Women & Girls Index (WGI), the only comprehensive index measuring charitable giving to women’s and girls’ organizations in the United States. This year’s analysis draws on the most recent IRS data and includes both 2022 and 2023, offering the most current look yet at how giving patterns are shifting in the wake of the pandemic and other national events.
For the first time since the Index was created in 2019, giving to women’s and girls’ organizations surpassed 2% of overall U.S. charitable giving—peaking at 2.18% in 2022 before settling back to 2.04% in 2023. This translates to more than $11 billion annually directed to these organizations.
The report notes extraordinary turbulence and activity across women’s and girls’ issues during 2022 and 2023. In June 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, which appears to have spurred donations to reproductive rights and advocacy organizations. The period also saw unusually large-scale giving by major donors, including MacKenzie Scott’s $275 million donation to Planned Parenthood in 2022 and her $640 million open call to 361 community-based organizations in 2023, many aligned with gender-related causes.
“The data show both growth and complexity in how donors respond to women’s and girls’ causes,” said Jacqueline Ackerman, Director of WPI. “Crossing the 2% mark for the first time is a notable milestone in more than a decade of data. At the same time, the quick shift in 2023 shows why it’s important to look at the bigger picture–how giving evolves over time in response to economic conditions, major events, and social change.”
Key findings from the 2025 WGI include:
- Giving to women’s and girls’ organizations exceeded 2% of all charitable giving for the first time, reaching 2.18% in 2022 before declining to 2.04% in 2023. This represents more than $11 billion annually.
- Much of the increase was fueled by giving to reproductive health organizations, which saw donations jump nearly 40% in 2022 before declining 10% in 2023, for a net two-year increase of 24%. Even excluding these organizations, giving to women and girls rose 10% in 2022 and 7% across 2021–2023.
- Growth was weaker when adjusting for inflation. Giving to women and girls’ organizations fell by 2% between 2021 and 2023, or 5% when excluding reproductive health organizations.
- Women’s and girls’ organizations rely disproportionately on government grants, which account for around 20% of overall revenue—twice the rate of other U.S. nonprofits.
“The Women & Girls Index offers a clear, data-driven view of how philanthropy responds to women’s and girls’ issues,” Ackerman added. “The findings show that giving can rise quickly in response to major events, but it also fluctuates from year to year. Our goal is to make these data widely available so donors, nonprofits, and researchers can better understand and navigate that landscape.”
The full research brief and a downloadable dataset of women- and girls-serving organizations are available at EquitableGivingLab.org/WGI. You can download the research brief here and a visual summary here.
About the Women’s Philanthropy Institute
The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) is part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. WPI increases understanding of women’s philanthropy through rigorous research and education, interpreting and sharing these insights broadly to improve philanthropy. By addressing significant and groundbreaking research questions and translating that research into increased understanding and improvements in practice, WPI helps to leverage new and expanded resources for the common good.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
TheIndiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University Indianapolis is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through itsundergraduate,graduate,certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us onX (formerly known as Twitter),LinkedIn, orInstagram and “Like” us onFacebook.