Women are the greatest economy on earth. Philanthropy offers women a platform for their abundance for two specific reasons:
1) The political and corporate sectors have yet to fully recognize the extraordinary value feminine strengths of caring, collaboration, connecting, and consensus building bring to our dysfunctional society.
2) Women’s attitudes regarding the accumulation and use of money are different from those of men. For men, the accumulation of money is the goal – it defines status and power. For women the accumulation of money is a means to an end – it gives women the freedom and the ability to impact society and support the causes that make their hearts sing.
Yet, I believe, women’s full potential for abundant philanthropic leadership is still in some ways a prisoner to the myth of scarcity and a mindset of fear. This is especially true for women who are more familiar and comfortable with the traditional giving of time rather than using their money as a forceful commodity to impact social, civic, and cultural agendas in their community.
However, as more women tell their story and talk about why they give and how the power of giving money aligns with their values to create the world they want, it is evident this myth of scarcity and a mindset of fear are diminishing. Abundance is on the horizon. Women are well on their way to becoming leading change agents. And when they partner with nonprofit organizations they can become “hyper-agents” – resulting in a new paradigm for women’s philanthropy. I call this new paradigm the Three Principles of Abundance:
1) Every woman is a philanthropist
2) Every woman has a legacy story
3) Every woman makes a difference
The greatest economy on earth is poised to become the cohort of the greatest philanthropists on earth. Abundance has found a home.