Women, Wealth, and the Future of Philanthropy

Women’s History Month invites us to look back at how far we’ve come. I find myself equally drawn to what’s coming, and what it will ask of us.

Something remarkable is underway. Over the next two decades, an estimated $90 trillion will change hands in the largest wealth transfer to women in human history. By 2030, for the first time in our nation’s history, women are projected to control most of the wealth.

This is a profound shift, and I believe it holds remarkable opportunity for those of us willing to embrace what it could mean and what it may ask of us.

I came to explore philanthropy as a first-generation wealth creator, shaped by a working-class upbringing in Seattle. My parents didn’t have material wealth, but they generously gave their time, talent, and care for our neighbors and community. That was the model of giving I grew up with. 

Writing checks to large institutions felt insufficient to me for a long time. And honestly, the word “philanthropist” didn’t feel like it belonged to me for quite some time. It conjured an older model of giving that didn’t match how I wanted to show up or what I believed giving could be. 

I suspect many women know that feeling.

What I’ve come to believe over time is that the traditional model of philanthropy wasn’t designed with the power of women’s instincts fully in mind. Too often, it has centered on individual wealth, individual legacy, and a form of giving that keeps decision-making removed from the communities it is meant to serve.

In my experience, many women approach this work differently. We want to understand the root of the problem, know who is most impacted, who should be involved in leading the work and what they need. We want our giving to reflect our values and our relationships, not just our personal interests or financial resources. And we want to give in community and collaboration with others. We contribute time, talent, testimony, ties, and treasured wisdom, not just money.

Those instincts are a powerful map to lasting change.

Over the years, I’ve sought out women whose mindset toward philanthropy challenges and expands my own, helping shape how I see the role of giving in a much bigger system of change.

Recently, I’ve been having conversations with leaders like Leena Barakat, President of the Women Donors Network, and Hali Lee of Radiant Strategies. Both have helped me think more deeply about what this moment could become.

Leena put it simply: many women are less interested in the personal prestige of giving and more focused on outcomes. They fund hard work others avoid, prioritizing what strengthens communities’ agency, like organizing and advocacy. They often do it relationally, aiming to shift long-term power alongside partners rather than simply deploying temporary solutions.

Hali reminded me that none of this is entirely new. Women have always pooled resources and cared for their communities. Giving circles are really just a modern expression of something much older: people coming together to solve problems collectively. Today, those circles have grown into a billion-dollar movement.

What’s new is the scale of wealth now moving through women’s hands. And with that comes both possibility and responsibility. This is also a challenging moment politically, socially, for many of the communities and causes we care about. What I keep seeing, though, is women stepping forward with clarity, generosity, and purpose. That kind of leadership matters right now.

These conversations have become a way for me to explore this moment alongside other women who are asking similar questions. Every woman I speak with, whether she has been giving for decades or is just beginning to explore her role, teaches me something about courage, leadership, and claiming influence in ways that feel authentic.

My hope is that more women step into this moment with both confidence and curiosity. That we stop waiting until we feel perfectly ready or qualified. Philanthropy can feel isolating, especially when you’re just finding your footing. But one of the things these conversations have reinforced for me is that there is a real and generous community of women out there who are asking the same questions, making the same mistakes, and genuinely happy to bring others along. Find your people. Ask the hard questions. Trust that your values and relationships aren’t secondary to the work — they are the foundation of it.

Bold moves are already underway, and I believe the most important chapters are still ahead.