When I agreed to step into the role of president at Building Impact Partners, I shared with my colleagues that I wanted to spend time exploring the role that women leaders, both donors and advisors, are playing in the philanthropic ecosystem. I believe deeply that with more women in leadership roles at all levels of society, we can fundamentally shift our culture and communities while bringing attention to underserved issue areas impacting women and girls. 

As a mother of five and the leader of Building Impact Partners, my schedule is busy. Yet, I’m certain that my role as the president of a household has made me better equipped to be the president of this firm. I work hard to lead with my head and my heart, to nurture and develop our team, and to bring vulnerability and empathy to my colleagues and my clients. I am not alone in qualifying these attributes as strengths. As I connect with other women leaders in the space, we all grapple with our roles as leaders, how we approach the work, and what we might do to achieve greater impact in our organizations and the field at large.

One thing we can all agree on is that greater impact is needed when it comes to women’s issues. According to the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, while the amount of giving to women and girls has increased over the years, it has never exceeded 2% of overall charitable dollars. To me, the way to raise that percentage significantly is to increase the number of women philanthropists and philanthropy advisors who are shaping the field. 

On this year’s International Women’s Day, there is abundant reason to be optimistic that we can do this. Just five years from now, by 2030, women are expected to control more than $34 trillion in the United States alone. Their spending power presents an enormous opportunity for women to step into roles as donors and philanthropic leaders, especially as 85% of charitable giving decisions by affluent households are already being made or influenced by a woman, according to a 2023 Bank of America study. Increased involvement from women is the key to funding women and girls’ issue areas in new ways and on a scale proportionate to the need, as well as to reshape the philanthropy field as a whole.

As a woman leader in this space, I’m excited to imagine what’s possible. Women bring unique perspective to the communities we serve. Especially in spaces that have historically been dominated by white men, women donors, advisors, and entrepreneurs have the potential to fundamentally shift the landscape and to funnel capital into maternal health and well-being, education, career pathways, gender equity, and other initiatives critical to the prosperity of girls and women. 

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day – Accelerate Action – is about “the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality” and “calling for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.” We’re watching this play out under the leadership of two of the world’s most prominent and active philanthropists, who, not coincidentally, are women: Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott. They’re setting a bold, transformative playbook of giving that gets wealth closer to where it is needed and doing so quickly.

I don’t know either of them personally (I wish I did!), but I have to imagine that they feel a lot of the same things I feel as a woman leader – imposter syndrome, self-doubt, concerns about criticism. But, they do it anyway! And they do it with a glaring spotlight on their choices, opening them to both backlash and praise. Still, they continue to push forward with what they believe is right and most effective, prioritizing getting resources into communities rather than holding them. They’re willing to experiment and test new strategies without worrying about flawless execution. It’s encouraging to see more women philanthropists in the public eye. It comes at a time where we’re beginning to see more women rise into decision-making seats across the board. 

In thinking about the work we do at Building Impact Partners and my role as a woman leader, this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Accelerate Action highlights precisely how philanthropy can be done differently. Here are a few ways that can be achieved: 

• Take big action, experiment, and iterate. With a refreshed focus on results and impact, we can try new things and get more money off the sidelines. It’s important to remember that there’s no perfect way to achieve impact. We learn by doing, listening, building, trying, and growing. Sitting in an ivory tower and attempting to build perfect theories of action while more wealth is accumulated by a smaller and smaller group of individuals won’t yield results. I encourage everyone to be flexible and humble. 
• Policy is a critical lever. For some folks, policy isn’t sexy. I’m not one of those people! Policy is what drives equity and opportunity (or the lack thereof) from the micro level all the way up to the federal and international level. Addressing root causes requires engagement in policy. While the federal policy landscape in the United States will likely be fraught with turmoil over the next four years, there is endless opportunity to implement policy changes at the local level. Taking action in policy isn’t a “nice to have” – it is critical to laying the groundwork for a more equitable future. 
• Invest in women’s big ideas. This is one of the most important levers donors can pull to drive impact. I benefited from a funded entrepreneur fellowship that shaped my future as a woman leader in this field. Creating spaces, cohorts, fellowships, and other opportunities where women can develop big ideas is key to addressing the biggest issues women and girls face. So many women experience hurdles that prevent them from engaging in the workforce, from childcare to eldercare responsibilities, which are particularly acute post-COVID for women of color. As a society, we need to build spaces for women to solve the problems impacting their communities, not just on their own, but with each other. 

“Accelerate Action” is a perfect mantra for all of us, especially at a time when philanthropy is sorely needed. International Women’s Day is a reminder that we must accelerate action around the world for greater gender equality, for better opportunities for women to lead, and for the women’s and girls’ issues that require more from us.