Podcast Summary

Podcast: Nonprofit Nation with Julia Campbell
Episode: How to Engage Women Donors With Jaqueline Ackerman
Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Julia Campbell
Guest: Jacqueline Ackerman, Director, Women's Philanthropy Institute (WPI)

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Julia Campbell welcomes Jacqueline Ackerman, director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. They dive deep into the nuances of women’s giving: why women give, how their philanthropic behavior differs from men’s, the current challenges and opportunities in women’s philanthropy, and how nonprofit leaders can better engage and honor women donors. The conversation also unpacks the importance of intersectionality, generational trends, and meaningful action steps for fundraisers eager to cultivate more inclusive donor communities.

Guest Background & The Lens of Lived Experience

[02:21] – [04:45]

• Jacqueline shares her background of living in Haiti as a child, where her parents were aid workers.
• Exposure to "missionary heavy" and NGO-saturated environments shaped her curiosity about what approaches in philanthropy actually work, especially regarding cultural competence and sustainability.
• Her journey—from observing nonprofit impact in Haiti to pursuing rigorous research—aims to inform practical strategies for investing in women’s and girls’ issues and advancing women's leadership in the sector.

Notable Quote:

“Haiti is the most missionary heavy and NGO heavy country... I had the opportunity to see a lot of nonprofit activity and philanthropic investment. And... Haiti is not really doing amazingly well despite all of this investment.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [02:38]

Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI): Mission and Approach

[04:45] – [07:50]

• WPI's mission: Conduct, curate, and disseminate research on gender and philanthropy.
• Traditional focus: Differences in donor behaviors between men and women and how fundraisers can adapt approaches to better engage women.
• Expanded focus:
  • Who gives to women and girls’ causes?
  • Why and why not?
  • The "Women and Girls Index" (WGI)—less than 2% of U.S. charitable giving goes to women and girls’ organizations, a statistic updated annually.
• Recent work includes investigating women’s leadership in the sector, noting a gap between women’s dominance in the workforce and their under-representation at the executive level.

Notable Quote:

“Women are the bulk of the philanthropic and nonprofit workforce, but not the majority of leaders of C-suite folks… as you get higher and higher… there are increasingly fewer women in leadership of those nonprofits.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [06:39]

Eye-Opening Findings about Women’s Philanthropy

[07:50] – [09:58]

• Women are more likely to give (and often give more) than similarly situated men.
• Women’s motivations: More altruistic, empathetic, and focused on end results.
• Men’s motivations: More transactional or self-centered—though not necessarily negative (“helps my neighborhood/property values”).
• Women’s giving patterns: Regular, consistent, and spread across multiple causes, which may obscure their philanthropic influence compared to concentrated, one-off male giving.
• Stunning statistic:
  • "Less than 2% of charitable giving goes to women and girls in the U.S.”
  • This number has remained stubbornly low, despite increasing awareness.

Translating Research into Fundraising Action

[09:58] – [15:45]

• WPI is committed to making research accessible for frontline fundraisers (infographics, how-to guides, user guides).
• Key strategies for fundraisers:
  • Approach women differently; tailor messaging and appeals.
  • Use storytelling that centers women (both beneficiaries and donors).
  • Create engagement opportunities beyond money—inviting women into volunteering, committees, and board service.
  • Recognize that traditional donor screening/major gift processes often overlook women due to dispersed, long-term giving.
  • Actively include women in donor communications—and don’t default to the male of a household.

Notable Quote:

“Are you approaching women donors with incentives to give, like naming a building or a program? Because that is not a thing that appeals to women. And we have so many examples of major women donors actually rejecting those offers.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [12:20]

• Warns against defaulting to just traditional wealthy, white male donors, especially as the “great wealth transfer” is shifting wealth into women’s hands.

Memorable Moment:
A humorous yet pointed reference to Stephen King’s wife being addressed as “Mrs. Stephen King” in donor outreach, highlighting how such small oversights can damage donor relationships.

• “How much trouble is it for this charity to learn my wife's name?” — Julia Campbell [15:45]

Intersectionality in Philanthropy

[17:48] – [20:50]

• It’s crucial not to treat “women” as a monolith; intersectional understanding is essential.
• Different backgrounds (race, class, ability, sexual orientation) shape women’s philanthropic behaviors and definitions of giving.
• Example: For Black women, volunteering at church or for family may not be self-defined as “philanthropy,” even if it constitutes valuable community work.
• Conventional measures (dollars, formal volunteering) can miss informal care and support happening in communities of color.

Notable Quote:

“You can’t just say, okay, I know the differences, gender-wise, between men and women. And so now I have two groups… No, they are… unique. And you need to understand their backgrounds, especially if you're approaching them for large gifts.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [18:20]

Generational Differences in Women’s Giving

[20:50] – [23:44]

• Older women more likely to give to religious causes; younger women approach giving more broadly.
• Gen Z and Millennials are “cause-loyal,” not “organization-loyal.”
  • Give in various ways—direct action (e.g., making care bags), advocacy, ethical shopping, impact investing, volunteering.
• Nonprofits must adapt to these trends and offer collaborative, flexible engagement opportunities, rather than expecting younger generations to “become like boomers.”

Notable Quotes:

“Kids these days attitude, like, you’re not going to change it. You need to adapt to it and meet younger donors where they are.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [22:48]

“Their loyalty is to a cause, it’s not to an organization.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [21:41]

Trends & (Some) Good News in Philanthropy

[25:06] – [28:13]

• Acknowledges current challenges: Funding is being cut, unpredictably, with disproportionate impact on women’s and girls’ organizations and communities of color.
• Reasons for optimism:
  • The “great wealth transfer” will put more assets in women’s hands, which is likely to be transformative for philanthropy over the next 5–15 years.
  • The absolute dollar amount given to women and girls’ organizations is growing, even if the percentage isn't rising as fast (over $10 billion most recently).
  • High-profile women donors (e.g., MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates) bringing attention, major investment, and modeling giving to women’s and girls’ causes.

Notable Quote:

“It is going to transform the way that we think about donors, the way that we think about women using their money.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [26:30]

“So as a percentage of total giving, it's really not growing… but as a total amount, it is growing.”
— Jacqueline Ackerman [27:23]

Actionable Advice for More Inclusive Fundraising

[28:29] – [31:04]

• Opportunities at every step of the fundraising process to be more inclusive of women donors:
  • Prospect researchers can develop better systems to recognize the broader generosity of women.
  • Communications should feature women’s stories/donors so potential donors can “see themselves” in the narrative.
  • Major gift officers: Always ask if others (spouse/partner, next generation) should be involved in conversations.
  • Systematize how donor information is recorded (who gets credited, how people are addressed) and thank donors meaningfully.
• Small actions can make a difference—you don’t need massive overhauls to begin creating a more welcoming, successful environment for women donors.

Where to Learn More

[31:04] – [31:41]

• Women’s Philanthropy Institute website (searchable via Indiana University)
• Active on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram
• Especially frequent updates and events posted on LinkedIn

Final Takeaways

• Approach women donors intentionally: Recognize their patterns, motivations, and histories—don’t default to traditional assumptions.
• Prioritize inclusivity: Consider intersectional identities and generational trends.
• Use research practically: WPI makes evidence-based, actionable tools freely available—use them.
• Change is happening: Despite stubborn statistics, philanthropy led by and supporting women is growing and poised for a major leap in the coming decade.

Memorable Quotes (by Timestamp)

• "[Women] give for different reasons… women are more likely to give out of altruism, a sense of empathy, thinking about the end result or the end user… Men tend to give for more, what we call self-centered reasons… but women tend to be giving consistently over time, even in smaller amounts, and they spread out their giving."
  — Jacqueline Ackerman [08:15]

• "If you're not paying attention to women and how they give, you are going to miss out and leave money on the table."
  — Jacqueline Ackerman [13:33]

• "You need to be paying Attention to how women receive solicitation. So are you incorporating stories? Are you highlighting women donors so that the folks who receive this can see themselves in your donor base?"
  — Jacqueline Ackerman [29:06]

For more insights and resources, connect with the Women’s Philanthropy Institute online, and adapt your fundraising to embrace the powerful, growing influence of women donors.