A wave of influence has been building in Canada over the last 30 years, and it has had a profound impact on our communities, whether delineated by geography, gender, ethnicity or something else.
It’s a striking phenomenon that I’ve witnessed in my law practice focused on personal planning. I’m referring to the increasing number of women active in the world of philanthropy as donors, volunteers, board members, managers and employees of the more than 86,000 charities operating in Canada.
I’m a baby boomer, and while there is plenty of progress still to be made, women of my generation have certainly had more education, employment and leadership opportunities than women of my mother’s generation. That has led to women earning more, saving more and being in charge more. The natural outcome is impact.
By 2028, the financial wealth controlled by Canadian women is projected to be just under $4 trillion according to CIBC Economics’ Changing Landscape of Women’s Wealth.
TD Wealth’s excellent Women and Philanthropy Report 2023 identifies other factors at play. As donors, Canadian women gifted $4.3 billion to charity in 2021. As volunteers, Statistics Canada data from 2018 and 2022 suggests that around 13 million women donate their time in support of philanthropic causes—the estimated equivalent of about 1.4 million full-time positions. The TD report notes that 2.7 million women are employed in the charitable sector out of 3.5 million people in total.
So, it’s no wonder that Canadian women are driving public policy and systemic change like never before, and are instrumental in responding to urgent needs.
What drives them? A sense of responsibility is often a big part of it. It’s the recognition that we need to give back. Combine that with something you’re passionate about, and a powerful energy is ignited.
But another thing I’ve noticed is that women are often “stealth” donors, meaning they sometimes like to stay on the sidelines until they’re sure they want to commit. They may engage in limited volunteer roles for long periods, gaining confidence as they get to know an organization and its people. Or they may make small donations—perhaps annually and for years—before making a major commitment, all the while observing how the charity operates as part of their due diligence.
Women often do a lot of due diligence, and there tends to be a deliberate quality to their approach. They look at financial reporting, how a charity is run, by whom, whether there is evidence of impact, how the charity communicates with them and what that says about it.
In addition to the “know your charity” side of the equation, I’ve observed that it takes a degree of confidence to get involved—to agree to sit on a board, to make some other significant time commitment or to make a big gift. Sometimes that confidence comes with age and experience. But mentorship can also play an important role: Others sharing their experiences of how they selected the charities they support, how they went about building relationships with those who run them, how they structured their contributions of time or money to ensure impact. Mentorship can offer a safe space within which to ask questions, learn, build confidence and eventually make a commitment. In my experience, women value the counsel of people they trust. Relationships are important.
The role that mentorship plays in the relationship between women and philanthropy is something I’ve observed in my professional practice, but it’s also what I’ve experienced personally. The advice and experience of people I trusted is what led me to Big Sisters of B.C. Lower Mainland—interestingly, an organization founded on the mentorship benefits afforded to girls in our community. They give youth a hands-up at a time in their lives when that could change everything, with programs aimed at fostering confidence, independence and educational attainment. That was something I wanted, and still want, to be a part of.
The impact Canadian women are having through their philanthropy is remarkable and that needs to be recognized and appreciated. There are also women out there who could have significant impact and who are wondering how to get involved. The message? Reach out to someone you trust and talk with them about their giving experiences.
Carmen Thériault, KC, is co-chair of Big Sisters of B.C. Lower Mainland’s upcoming Unleashing Potential fundraising campaign.
