New research shows that gender differences influence what types of charitable organizations couples support, and who gives to causes focused on women and girls.
The Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy reported Friday that when the man's income increases, the couple is likelier to donate to religious, youth, international and combined-purpose entities — such groups as United Jewish Appeal, Catholic Charities or United Way.
They also tend to give larger amounts to those organizations.
When the woman's income increases, the couple is more likely to focus on, and give more to, charities that provide for basic human needs, such as a shelter for the homeless or the American Red Cross.
"Much of the previous research has looked at household giving by couples as a single unit," the school's dean Amir Pasic said in a statement. "By delving more deeply into the factors that influence charitable giving by couples, this study provides a more thorough understanding of gender differences in giving."
Consider causes that support women and girls. Forty-five percent of all donors in the study said they gave specifically to such causes.
But when researchers looked at gender differences in giving, they found that half of female donors and two out of five male donors gave to these causes.
In households with $250,000 or more in income and/or $1 million or more in assets not including their principal residence, men and women had the same top priorities for giving.
