FIERCE Philanthropy

I’ve been thinking about the dramatic impact Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott are making

across the non-profit ecosystem. I am so impressed with how they are building a legacy with

their immense wealth.

So, I wanted to see if they outliers or are women across fields and income levels all like Melinda

and MacKenzie and delivering change in the world through donations and volunteering. I have

to say, I kind of knew the answer but I didn’t know it was so statistically consistent across

groups.

Women aren’t just talking about change — we’re funding it, building it, and showing up for

it.

Across income levels, geographies, and generations, women are more likely to give, more likely

to volunteer, and more likely to stay engaged in their communities than men.

It’s FIERCE.

The Data Doesn’t Lie — Women Lead With Impact

Study after study shows the same thing:

• Women are more likely to donate to charitable causes.

• Women give more frequently, even when they have fewer resources.

• Women are significantly more likely to volunteer their time.

• And women tend to give with a long-term, community-centered lens.

This isn’t accidental. It’s how we’re wired. Empathy. Responsibility. Systems thinking. The

ability to see how one person’s wellbeing affects an entire ecosystem. Sound familiar?

That’s Females In Every Role Change Everything — in action.

Enter the Titans: Women Who Redefined Philanthropy

We can all learn from Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott.

Melinda French Gates

Melinda didn’t just co-chair one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world — she

reshaped what global philanthropy prioritizes. Women’s health. Gender equity. Access to

education. Economic mobility.

Her work recognizes a truth women have always known:

When you invest in women, entire communities rise.

She funds systemic change. She funds dignity. She funds the long game.

MacKenzie Scott

And then there’s MacKenzie Scott — who essentially looked at traditional philanthropy and said,

“No thanks.”

Her approach?

• No micromanagement.

• No endless reporting requirements.

• No power plays.

Instead, she has distributed tens of billions of dollars directly to nonprofits — fast, unrestricted,

and rooted in trust.

That’s not just generosity.

That’s radical confidence in community leaders.

That’s saying: I believe you know what your people need.

That is FIERCE as hell.

Women Don’t Gatekeep Impact — We Multiply It

What sets women philanthropists apart isn’t just how much we give — it’s how we give.

Women:

• Fund people, not just projects

• Value sustainability over splash

• Measure success in lives changed, not headlines earned

• Stay involved long after the photo op is over

  • We ask, “Who does this help — and what happens next?”

That mindset is exactly why women are already changing the world — even without equal

access to wealth, power, or seats at the table.

Now imagine what happens when we do have those things.

This Is the Blueprint for a Better World

FIERCE exists because we believe this with every fiber of our being:

Women deserve equality in every room.

Philanthropy isn’t separate from leadership.

Volunteerism isn’t separate from power.

Community care isn’t “soft.” It’s strategic.

The same women who are mentoring, donating, organizing, and showing up are the ones who

will:

• Build more equitable economies

• Create more humane workplaces

• Design systems that actually work for people

This is how change happens. Not through domination — but through participation.

Stay FIERCE!

xoxo - Abigail