Women: The Force for Changing the World

Gender matters. Women are not a niche audience. Women are the audience. Current research indicates that across income brackets, women are more likely to give to charity than men, and that women give more than men, nearly twice as much.

Today, 59.9 percent of women are in the labor force. The proportion of working women with a college degree roughly tripled from 1970 to 2008, from 11 percent in 1970 to 36 percent in 2008. Marriage is becoming a less dominant lifestyle. As of 2009, the number of unmarried and single Americans comprised 43 percent of the U.S. population 18 years of age and older: 53 percent of that group is women.

According to the U.S. Census data, the average age of a widow is 55 years, and nearly 12 million women are widowed, nearly five times the number of men (approximately 2.7 million). With women outliving men and the growing proportion of wives earning more than their husbands, much of the estimated $41 trillion of wealth predicted to be transferred to others over the 55-year period from 1998 to 2052 is controlled by women.

Women are behind more than 80 percent of all consumer purchases, almost all healthcare-related decisions for their families, and have been called the single most effective force in social transformation. The key is how women catalyze their power.

Not only do women have the power to profoundly influence the world of consumer goods and hold over half of the wealth in our nation today, women also have the power to rouse and accelerate our ability to do good. Doing good with investments catapults that good to the forefront of social change:

EXAMPLE: A 70-year-old woman who invests $100,000 in a certificate of deposit (CD) generates about $1,000-$1,500 annual cash flow in today’s low-interest environment. A $100,000 charitable gift annuity would generate annual cash flow of more than five times as much - plus the power to effect change.

Social and political trends of the past 15 years have created palpable momentum behind the idea that women’s time is now. Be a pace setter. 

To find out about how Pentera helps clients reach, educate, and motivate this powerful market, contact us at info@pentera.com, visit us at http://www.pentera.com/, or call 317.875.0910, ext. 251.