Gendered Generosity

Are women more generous than men? Stereotypes point to yes, but since when has that been a good indication of the truth?

Polls, on the other hand, come at least a tad closer to telling us how things really are. According to the Wall Street Journal, a new one by Ledbury Research for Barclay's Wealth provides exactly the answer we would have expected. Though I personally wouldn't have guessed how resounding a "yes" the answer is.

Women are almost twice as generous, it turns out. At least if they're rich. We're just talking about rich people here, which I know is a skewed sample for discussion of most social issues. But when you're talking about philanthropy, rich people are what make the world go 'round.

The poll of 500 respondents with "investible assets" of $1 million or above reveals that wealthy American women donate an average of 3.5 percent of their wealth to charity, while wealthy men average a paltry 1.8 percent.

The differences don't end there. Women apparently make their charitable decisions in a much more collaborative and responsive manner, while men tend to make solitary decisions and apply hard-and-fast rules.

I hate it when reality conforms to stereotypes. Though in this case the reality paints my gender in a much better light. Sorry guys, if I were rich, I'd be nicer than you.