It was an evening to celebrate the power of women to drive transformational change in the Canadian charitable sector. Participating as a panelist gave me a unique opportunity to learn – from TD Wealth’s report, Trust and Transformation: Canadian Women and Philanthropy, from the other panelists, and from audience insights.
Some takeaway themes:
The report
- The economic importance of women in Canada has increased and will continue to increase in the decades ahead.
- Trust is an essential component in women’s philanthropic choices, influencing their decisions to give, and from whom they seek input.
- Systemic change to address the underlying causes of critical social issues is an increasingly important focus in women’s philanthropy for those giving strategically with multi-year support.
- While women have always been vital to the sector, they are becoming increasingly essential as donors, and they give in ways that are different from men. Learning more about how best to attract and retain women as donors and volunteers is an important opportunity for charities.
Pictured: Sharon Broughton, far right.
The panel
- The power of lived experience in advocating for action, change and global impact (remarkable examples from Dr Soania Mathur and her Unshakeable MD and PD Avengers work).
- Family philanthropy’s lasting effects, and the best ways to engage the next generation with impactful content Taylor Faith Cooperband.
- Essential role of unrestricted giving in the trust equation, and the imperative for charities to drive change with focused impact messaging to offset the overhead myth.
- Charities can build trust by highlighting gaps, mistakes and lessons learned, giving donors an opportunity to support solutions.
- Deep knowledge at TD Wealth as the leader in spearheading DAF’s 21 years ago.
The experience of the audience
- We can all be philanthropists, no matter our age. Start small and local, engage others, find your community, share why a cause matters to you, and you can also make a difference with time and talent.
- The value of in-person gatherings, deep conversations, expanding horizons.
It was such a pleasure to connect with committed women leaders and former University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Non-profit leadership students!
Check out the report and dig into other influencing factors, how women give, and ways charities can strengthen their connections with their communities of support over the long-term. Thank you TD and Parkinson Canada
Feel free to share your thoughts in comments.
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