From the Beginning

Over the past three decades, the field of women’s philanthropy has evolved and grown rapidly—as has the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) since its inception in 1991. From the beginning, WPI research has shown that gender matters in philanthropy. The research demonstrates that women give more than men—and they give differently. Learning about these key drivers for women’s giving is important, and learning how to apply the research is the next step. Kathleen Loehr, a founding council member of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, recognized the potential of expanding the research into practice.

Early in her career, Kathleen Loehr understood that organizations had only reached the tip of the iceberg in terms of growing women’s philanthropy. In 2018, Kathleen wrote about how to apply the research  in her nationally referenced book, Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women’s Philanthropy. The book outlines why gender matters in philanthropy and offers a comprehensive approach that yields consistent results for individuals, teams, and organizations that follow through with the recommendations.