Today, as women across the country head to the ballots in midterm elections, many of us, as candidates, volunteers, or voters, will spend time and money supporting the candidates and causes we care most about. The work doesn’t end when the votes are over. Women are using their money to spread their political voices, but they don’t need election years or big bank accounts.
a report Researchers at the Women’s Philanthropy Institute found that women are taking the lead when it comes to accepting charitable donations as a means of civic engagement. In the weeks following the 2016 presidential election, women’s giving to the top 501(c)3 charities increased significantly compared to men, according to the report. According to the report, women gave an average of $1,586 more than men in the week before the election. In her week after the election, the difference between women’s and men’s donations more than doubled to her $3,905.
Regardless of your income level, getting involved in philanthropy can be a powerful way to actively support the ideas you champion in polls and in your own activism. For movements and mission-oriented organizations, funding is often the crucial difference between success and failure. Charity is not a “soft” thing. It is a platform women can embrace to use their economic power to create meaningful, purpose-driven change.
Understand the power of your money.
To be honest, money is a difficult subject to confide in, and the idea of using money as a tool to influence change seems greedy or corrupt to some. Consider how money affects you if you are grounded in your views.
When you align your charitable giving with your passion, you’re investing to create a sustainable impact. Think of it this way. If advocacy is the engine of change, money is the fuel that sustains and drives advocacy campaigns. Besides many practical ways to support nonprofits and political causes, such as volunteering and campaigning, one of the easiest and most effective ways to make an impact is by donating.
Through charitable donations, even small amounts, we support both the real-time activities of non-profit programs, such as after-school activities, and large-scale projects, such as national advocacy campaigns. (Read more about impact assessment.)
You don’t have to be rich to give.
Whether you donate $5 each month or become a major contributor, your money can be spent much more to support causes you care about.
If large donations are like ice cream on sundaes, small donations work like toppings. Nonprofits rely on that extra cash to provide paper and pens for classrooms and to print an extra banner or two. A small donation helps the organization go one step further.tissue gibwell detail What a select group of high-impact charities can do with just a few dollars in donations.