Pandemic led men to be more charitable, survey finds

Pandemic led men to be more charitable, survey finds
Women are still more generous than men and became even more interested in philanthropy in 2020.
JUN 23, 2021

The onslaught of the pandemic last year inspired a renewed sense of generosity, with 84% of women saying giving is important to them, a gain of nine percentage points, while 81% of men said giving is important, which was an 11-percentage-point jump, according to a survey by Fidelity Charitable.

In addition, 43% of men said they gave notably more to charity in 2020 than they had the previous year, compared to 34% of women.

“Women will continue to lead charitable giving decisions in many households, but the innate desire to make a difference in the world is more apparent than ever in all donors,” said Pamela Norley, president of Fidelity Charitable. “Men and women still engage in giving very differently, and there are ways that women can do even more.”

Among women, 86% said they wished they could do more to create positive social change, and women participated in many giving activities at higher rates than men, including volunteerism. Two-thirds (67%) of women reported volunteering recently, compared to 56% of men.

More women made nonfinancial gifts, bought from socially responsible businesses or donated through social media or online giving platforms. Women were also more likely than men to rank hunger (45% vs. 34%), access to basic health services (34% vs. 27%) and access to shelter or affordable housing (22% vs. 16%) as the top challenges facing the world.

In spite of participating in many giving activities at higher rates, women were less likely than men to be aware of or engage in many financial strategies that could enable greater impact, Fidelity said in a release.

“Only 17% of women made an impact investment, compared to a quarter of men. Similarly, among women who owned stocks or bonds, 35% were unaware that these assets could have been donated to charity, strategy that potentially minimizes the donor’s tax burden and enables them to make a larger donation,” Fidelity said.

Putting a price tag on ransomware attacks

Latest News

Investing for accountability: How to frame a values-driven conversation with clients
Investing for accountability: How to frame a values-driven conversation with clients

By listening for what truly matters and where clients want to make a difference, advisors can avoid politics and help build more personal strategies.

Advisor moves: Raymond James ends week with $1B Commonwealth recruitment streak
Advisor moves: Raymond James ends week with $1B Commonwealth recruitment streak

JPMorgan and RBC have also welcomed ex-UBS advisors in Texas, while Steward Partners and SpirePoint make new additions in the Sun Belt.

Cook Lawyer says fraud claims are Trump’s ‘weapon of choice’
Cook Lawyer says fraud claims are Trump’s ‘weapon of choice’

Counsel representing Lisa Cook argued the president's pattern of publicly blasting the Fed calls the foundation for her firing into question.

SEC orders Vanguard, Empower to pay more than $25M over failures linked to advisor compensation
SEC orders Vanguard, Empower to pay more than $25M over failures linked to advisor compensation

The two firms violated the Advisers Act and Reg BI by making misleading statements and failing to disclose conflicts to retail and retirement plan investors, according to the regulator.

RIA moves: Wells Fargo pair joins &Partners in Virginia
RIA moves: Wells Fargo pair joins &Partners in Virginia

Elsewhere, two breakaway teams from Morgan Stanley and Merrill unite to form a $2 billion RIA, while a Texas-based independent merges with a Bay Area advisory practice.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.