After the surge: Giving to women’s and girls’ organizations peaked in 2022, then plateaued 

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, donations to reproductive rights and advocacy organizations surged to record highs, according to the Women’s Philanthropy Institute’s Women & Girls Index 2025. 

Candid insights spoke with WPI director Jacqueline Ackerman about how this surge reflects both the promise and precarity of charitable giving to women’s and girls’ organizations—and what lessons funders and nonprofits can take from the data.  

The 2% moment: A long-awaited surge and inflation’s hidden impact 

The Women & Girls Index 2024 found that giving to organizations focusing on women and girls held steady at roughly 1.9% of total U.S. charitable donations in 2021, reflecting slow but consistent progress after the pandemic era.  

According to WGI 2025, in 2022 that steady but low level of funding gave way to a dramatic rise. A surge in giving driven by a sense of urgency in response to Dobbs pushed the share of total U.S. giving to women’s and girls’ organizations above 2% of total charitable donations for the first time, to 2.18%. 

By 2023, however, that surge had receded to 2.04%. Once adjusted for inflation, much of the apparent growth was erased, leaving organizations with less purchasing power.  

“We settled back to 2.04%, which—even if you took 2022 out of the picture—would be a really great increase to see from one year to another because we’ve not seen 2% before,” said Ackerman. “The spike in 2022 showed us that progress is possible and a steep increase is possible.” 

The Dobbs effect: How urgency and major donors shaped giving to women’s and girls’ organizations 

The powerful Dobbs surge at the grassroots level was further amplified by high-profile philanthropists like MacKenzie Scott, whose unrestricted gifts played an outsized role in shaping the 2022-2023 data. In 2022, she donated $275 million to Planned Parenthood, one of the largest single gifts ever made to a reproductive health organization. Grant recipients of her 2023 open-call initiative for community-based nonprofits included organizations working for gender equity.  

Reporting shows women philanthropists such as Melinda French Gates and Dr. Priscilla Chan, along with major organizations like the Global Fund for Women, Malala Fund, Together Women Rise, and Pivotal Ventures, further skewed sector totals upward—while underscoring how much progress relies on a handful of extraordinary donors. 

“Giving to women’s and girls’ organizations focused on reproductive rights and reproductive health has always been near the top in our index, so the fact that they’re still bringing in the largest percentage of dollars isn’t surprising—but that surge is really impactful,” said Ackerman. 

The role of public funding: When stability depends on the government 

WGI 2025 shows that women’s and girls’ organizations rely more heavily on government support than the average nonprofit—around one-fifth of their total revenue comes from government grants, roughly twice the proportion seen across the sector overall. 

Government grants provide stability but also heightens exposure to policy shifts and funding cuts. Ackerman noted that these cuts don’t hit all nonprofits equally—women’s and girls’ organizations are often more vulnerable.  

“Anytime you’re over-reliant on a single source of funding, it’s risky. Between volatility in federal funding, economic uncertainty, and inflation, it’s a risky time for women’s and girls’ organizations that rely heavily on government support,” she said. 

Turning spikes into staying power: Lessons for nonprofits 

The 2022 surge shows donors are highly responsive to policy changes and broader societal conversations about gender equity, WPI notes, but 2023 underscored how difficult it is to sustain that momentum once the moment passes. To convert reactive giving into reliable long-term support, the report suggests “deepening donor engagement, sharing the impact of past gifts, and making the case for sustained commitment over time.”  

“It’s unrealistic to keep all of them, but you can maintain relationships by deepening engagement—continuing to update donors on how increased funds are used, showing that the work is ongoing, and making the case that funding is still necessary after the crisis moment,” said Ackerman. “It’s important to create multiple entry points for engagement. Not all giving looks like writing a check—it’s volunteering, sharing about causes, connecting others, and staying involved in different ways.” 

Closing the gap: Why 2¢ still isn’t enough 

Even with milestone gains in 2022, women’s and girls’ organizations still receive only about 2¢ of every charitable dollar, an amount that has barely moved for decades. 

Ackerman noted that some funders view women’s and girls’ issues as too broad to solve or too focused on one group, leading to hesitation—even as women and girls remain at the center of major policy debates.  

“A lot of women’s and girls’ organizations are tied to public policy debates—especially reproductive health and abortion rights—which makes some donors uncomfortable or hesitant,” she said. “There are ways to overcome that hesitation. There’s so much research showing that giving to women and girls benefits the community broadly and has ripple effects across society.” 

Looking ahead: Balancing reactivity and resilience 

Ackerman noted that while shifts in law, policy, and the economy can spark short-term surges in giving, inflation and broader social or political tensions can dampen support. 

The trajectory of women’s and girls’ philanthropy will likely depend on how funders and organizations balance reactivity with resilience—turning moments of advocacy into platforms for sustained change. 

“I’d describe this year’s report as ‘good news—moderated.’ Crossing 2% was gratifying, but inflation erased much of the real growth. Many small, grassroots organizations are still struggling to cover basic costs,” said Ackerman. “Even though we’re seeing great things happen across the board in terms of additional funding, that’s not necessarily the day-to-day reality for staff and nonprofit leaders. They still need sustained support.” 

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