From scooters in Bangladesh to tech circles in London, women are transforming how philanthropy works.
Five years ago, 23-year-old Takia Sultana Nova made a life-changing decision: she started riding a scooter to her university in Chittagong, Bangladesh. In a society where women’s independence is often constrained, Takia’s ride became a powerful statement. Soon, women from all walks of life—doctors, teachers, homemakers—asked her for lessons. What started as a personal choice turned into a movement. Today, more than 12,000 women have gained increased freedom through Roadbook BD, Takia’s scooter training center, riding with purpose and building a joyful, autonomous community.
Takia is always quick to share that the success of her scooter-riding initiative would never have happened as a lone endeavor. Again and again throughout her journey, she turned to her mentor, Lulu, a digital engineer from San Francisco, for advice. They connected thanks to Wedu’s Global Mentorship Program.
As CEO of GlobalGiving, I’m always amazed by the power of our charitable partners, and this account immediately delighted me—as it shows the concentric circles of impact that radiate from any successful social-good venture.
Bidhya Maharjan, Vice President at Women LEAD Nepal, a feminist NGO in Nepal, and a GlobalGiving Community Voices Fellow, brought this story to us earlier this year. Bidhya is one of thousands of leaders that power the GlobalGiving community, which exists to make it easy to support local change anywhere in the world.
“When we let women lead,” Bidhya shared, “they’ll share the answers we all need.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Takia’s story is just one example of how women approach philanthropy differently. Research consistently shows that women are more likely to give collectively, collaborate, and support causes in a deeply personal way. When women look to make an impact, they often do so by building communities and creating networks of support, much like Takia did.
One of the most fascinating aspects of women’s philanthropy is the growing movement of giving circles. According to recent research from Philanthropy Together, 84% of giving circle leaders reported that more than half of their members are women. In fact, 60% of these groups are entirely composed of women, with female leadership integral to over half of all groups.
Women are at the heart of changemaking around the world—but they aren’t often at the helm. We know that at least 75% of nonprofit workers are women, but far less than 75% are in leadership positions. A steady pay gap between men and women at nonprofits in the US persists — even at the executive level.
At GlobalGiving, we work in 175 countries and one of our top themes is gender equality—with more than 1,300 projects around the world dedicated to elevating women and girls as they make an impact in their communities. Our Girl Fund supports highly effective GlobalGiving projects providing education, legal protection, health care, and access to training and job skills so that girls can thrive.
Since 2019, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) has measured giving to women and girls through its Women & Girls Index (WGI), thanks to funding from the Gates Foundation and Google.org.
The most recent WGI report, just released on October 8, 2024, shows that while philanthropic support for women’s and girls’ organizations surpassed $10 billion for the first time in 2021, reaching $10.2 billion, this still accounts for only 1.9% of total charitable giving. With over 50,000 charitable organizations in the U.S. dedicated to women and girls, it’s clear that much more is needed to ensure that work supported and led by women receives the attention—and funding—it deserves.
This stark reality is why initiatives like Give to Women and Girls Day, set for October 11, 2024, are so vital. It’s an opportunity to galvanize awareness and support, ensuring that the changemakers and mentors who are doing the work on the ground receive the resources they need to thrive.
With the largest wealth transfer in history underway, an estimated $30 trillion in U.S. wealth is set to move to younger women over the next decade. And today’s female philanthropists are increasingly tech-focused, futuristic, and innovative.
At GlobalGiving, we are thrilled to play a role in this evolving landscape of women-led philanthropy. In April of this year, I was in London as GlobalGiving launched the UK’s first Women in Tech Giving Circle.
This initiative brings together a collective of successful women leaders working in technology who are committed to making a meaningful philanthropic difference in communities worldwide.
The GlobalGiving Women in Tech Giving Circle is more than just a fundraising effort; it’s a community of like-minded women passionate about leveraging their skills, networks, and resources to support causes that matter. This is just the beginning, and we’re incredibly excited about the potential to grow women-led philanthropy in the tech sector and beyond.
There’s no question that the impact of women in philanthropy is massive—and our ongoing investment in that impact is crucial.
Melinda Gates, whom I’m proud to have met and worked for, has profoundly influenced how we think about women and philanthropy. When asked recently if women give differently, Melinda said:
“I think we haven’t run the experiment fully yet. It’s only been in the last decade that you’re seeing women really come into their own in philanthropy. I mean, we have a hundred years of history in philanthropy before that, but it was really the men who controlled the resources… So give us another 25 years, and then ask me the question again.”
I believe she’s right. We are just getting started.
The future of philanthropy is bright, and women are at the heart of this transformation. Together, we can build a world where every woman has the opportunity to give back, to lead, and to make a lasting impact—just like Takia and countless others who are changing the world, one act of courageous collaboration at a time.
Make a donation to GlobalGiving’s Girl Fund in honor of Give to Women and Girls Day.
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