The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy has released the 2025 Women & Girls Index (WGI), offering the most up-to-date analysis of charitable giving to women’s and girls’ organizations in the United States. Drawing on the latest IRS data from 2022 and 2023, the report reveals a historic milestone: giving to these organizations surpassed 2% of total U.S. charitable donations for the first time since the Index began in 2019. Contributions peaked at 2.18% in 2022 before easing to 2.04% in 2023, representing more than $11 billion annually directed toward gender-related causes.
The study attributes this rise in part to major social and political events, notably the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which sparked a surge in donations to reproductive rights and advocacy groups. Large-scale philanthropy also played a major role, including MacKenzie Scott’s $275 million gift to Planned Parenthood in 2022 and her $640 million open call for community-based organizations in 2023.
WPI Director Jacqueline Ackerman highlighted that while surpassing the 2% threshold marks a significant achievement, the fluctuations between 2022 and 2023 illustrate how economic conditions and social change influence donor behavior. Even excluding reproductive health organizations, giving to women’s and girls’ causes rose by 10% in 2022 and 7% from 2021 to 2023, though growth was weaker when adjusted for inflation.
The report also notes that women’s and girls’ organizations depend more heavily on government grants—about 20% of total revenue, double the rate of other U.S. nonprofits. Ackerman emphasized that the Index provides a critical tool for understanding how philanthropy responds to women’s and girls’ issues, helping donors and organizations plan for long-term sustainability amid shifting social and economic dynamics.
