The Rise of the Female Philanthropist

September 17, 2025

    How Women Are Reshaping the Future of Giving

    From overlooked changemakers in history to today’s philanthropic leaders, women continue to drive impact, equity, and lasting community change.

    When it comes to charitable giving, history books often overlook the women who have driven life-changing impact through philanthropy. While names like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Warren Buffet have become philanthropic touchstones in American culture, people like Eliza Hamilton, Mary Garret, and Gay McDougall don’t get half the recognition they most certainly deserve. However, these women—and countless others—have played instrumental roles in the way we approach charity work today. Women have long been catalysts for positive change in society, and their role in philanthropy is no exception.

    Let’s explore the impact women have on charitable giving, discover some of the important roles women play today, and show how the women of NCF serve as philanthropic leaders in our community.

    Driving Impact of Female Donors

    From the earliest days of American history, women have been instrumental in leading philanthropic support for a variety of causes, like providing food, clothing, education, and healthcare access to those in need. One such individual was St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who launched the American chapter of the Catholic Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Around the same time, Eliza Hamilton used her immense wealth to establish the first private orphanage in New York City. Today, that organization is known as the Graham Windham Foundation, which continues to provide critical support and services to underprivileged children and families.

    Now, nearly two centuries later, women command more financial influence than ever before. According to Indiana University’s Women’s School of Philanthropy, women own about 40% of the world’s wealth, and that number is only expected to rise. Another fun fact? Females today make close to 85% of all charitable giving decisions, which goes to show the enormous sway women have in catalyzing positive social change.

    Along with this surging influence of female-led philanthropy also comes an interesting observation, courtesy of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. While men typically give to political campaigns or workplace fundraising efforts, women see their charitable giving as a moral obligation to help others, and they choose to support charities more in line with their personal interests, prioritizing community, healthcare, education, and gender equality.

    Suffice to say, women in philanthropy have driven incredible impact when it comes to addressing our most challenging social issues, making them vital instruments for initiating progressive change.

    Women Leading Philanthropic Causes Today

    Beyond donating to charitable causes, women also take up positions of leadership in the nonprofit sector, dedicating time and personal resources to driving systemic change.

    Compared to more male-dominated industries, the nonprofit sector is most definitely female-led. Women make up nearly two-thirds of the private nonprofit workforce, while 70% of women serve as nonprofit fundraisers. And according to the BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, women represent 48% of nonprofit board members and 42% of nonprofit chairs.

    But, consider this interesting insight from Candid research: for nonprofit organizations with annual budgets totaling less than $1M, women make up 56% of chief executive leadership. However, for nonprofits with annual budgets reaching over the $50M mark, only 22% of those executive leadership roles are held by women. It’s a troubling disparity that fails to represent the massive influence women have in implementing meaningful change, which is why we here at NCF are keen on fixing that.

    Supporting Female-Led Philanthropy at NCF

    We’re well aware of the power women hold in advancing important social causes, and that’s exactly why we value the women at NCF who work tirelessly to support our mission in driving positive community change. Let’s introduce some of them here:

    • Geraldine Tomich, Esq.

    Geraldine is the chair of our board of directors, as well as the founding director of Gift Planning Advisors, a Las Vegas-based organization that helps expand awareness of fundraising opportunities and provides educational counsel to professionals in the philanthropic space. Additionally, Geraldine sits on the Board of Southern Nevada Public Television and is also the chairperson of its Planned Giving Council.

    • Kari Uyehara

    Kari is an NCF board member, and she also serves as executive director for the Raiders Foundation, the charitable arm of the Las Vegas Raiders. In her role, Kari oversees the organization’s various fundraising programs and manages community grantmaking, using the team’s massive platform to execute giving strategies focused on impact and sustainability.

    • Tami Hance

    Tami presides as secretary of the NCF board, as well as chief executive director for Communities in Schools of Nevada, a mission-driven program to keep kids in school, eliminate barriers to entry, and provide support by any means possible. On top of that, Tami also serves as a board member of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and president emeritus of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy.

    • Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler, D.P.A.

    As an NCF board member, Lisa brings an exceptional track record and extensive experience in social equity, workforce development, and community capacity building.

    She’s currently the executive director of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, co-founder of JBM Strategic Partners, and a professor of practice at UNLV.

    Invest in Women, Invest in the Future

    Women’s involvement in philanthropy has evolved over time, and it’s reshaped the landscape of charitable giving. By 2030, experts predict American women will inherit nearly $30 trillion of financial assets from baby boomer family members, marking the age of the great wealth transfer. That said, women are ideally positioned to drive major philanthropic influence for generations to come. Nevada Community Foundation is excited to support this movement, and we encourage everyone to do so as well. Let’s build a healthier, happier, more equitable future together.

    Ready to build a giving strategy that reflects your personal values? Reach out to NCF to get started.

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The Rise of the Female Philanthropist

How Women Are Reshaping the Future of Giving

From overlooked changemakers in history to today’s philanthropic leaders, women continue to drive impact, equity, and lasting community change.

When it comes to charitable giving, history books often overlook the women who have driven life-changing impact through philanthropy. While names like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Warren Buffet have become philanthropic touchstones in American culture, people like Eliza Hamilton, Mary Garret, and Gay McDougall don’t get half the recognition they most certainly deserve. However, these women—and countless others—have played instrumental roles in the way we approach charity work today. Women have long been catalysts for positive change in society, and their role in philanthropy is no exception.

Let’s explore the impact women have on charitable giving, discover some of the important roles women play today, and show how the women of NCF serve as philanthropic leaders in our community.

Driving Impact of Female Donors

From the earliest days of American history, women have been instrumental in leading philanthropic support for a variety of causes, like providing food, clothing, education, and healthcare access to those in need. One such individual was St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who launched the American chapter of the Catholic Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Around the same time, Eliza Hamilton used her immense wealth to establish the first private orphanage in New York City. Today, that organization is known as the Graham Windham Foundation, which continues to provide critical support and services to underprivileged children and families.

Now, nearly two centuries later, women command more financial influence than ever before. According to Indiana University’s Women’s School of Philanthropy, women own about 40% of the world’s wealth, and that number is only expected to rise. Another fun fact? Females today make close to 85% of all charitable giving decisions, which goes to show the enormous sway women have in catalyzing positive social change.

Along with this surging influence of female-led philanthropy also comes an interesting observation, courtesy of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. While men typically give to political campaigns or workplace fundraising efforts, women see their charitable giving as a moral obligation to help others, and they choose to support charities more in line with their personal interests, prioritizing community, healthcare, education, and gender equality.

Suffice to say, women in philanthropy have driven incredible impact when it comes to addressing our most challenging social issues, making them vital instruments for initiating progressive change.

Women Leading Philanthropic Causes Today

Beyond donating to charitable causes, women also take up positions of leadership in the nonprofit sector, dedicating time and personal resources to driving systemic change.

Compared to more male-dominated industries, the nonprofit sector is most definitely female-led. Women make up nearly two-thirds of the private nonprofit workforce, while 70% of women serve as nonprofit fundraisers. And according to the BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, women represent 48% of nonprofit board members and 42% of nonprofit chairs.

But, consider this interesting insight from Candid research: for nonprofit organizations with annual budgets totaling less than $1M, women make up 56% of chief executive leadership. However, for nonprofits with annual budgets reaching over the $50M mark, only 22% of those executive leadership roles are held by women. It’s a troubling disparity that fails to represent the massive influence women have in implementing meaningful change, which is why we here at NCF are keen on fixing that.

Supporting Female-Led Philanthropy at NCF

We’re well aware of the power women hold in advancing important social causes, and that’s exactly why we value the women at NCF who work tirelessly to support our mission in driving positive community change. Let’s introduce some of them here:

  • Geraldine Tomich, Esq.

Geraldine is the chair of our board of directors, as well as the founding director of Gift Planning Advisors, a Las Vegas-based organization that helps expand awareness of fundraising opportunities and provides educational counsel to professionals in the philanthropic space. Additionally, Geraldine sits on the Board of Southern Nevada Public Television and is also the chairperson of its Planned Giving Council.

  • Kari Uyehara

Kari is an NCF board member, and she also serves as executive director for the Raiders Foundation, the charitable arm of the Las Vegas Raiders. In her role, Kari oversees the organization’s various fundraising programs and manages community grantmaking, using the team’s massive platform to execute giving strategies focused on impact and sustainability.

  • Tami Hance

Tami presides as secretary of the NCF board, as well as chief executive director for Communities in Schools of Nevada, a mission-driven program to keep kids in school, eliminate barriers to entry, and provide support by any means possible. On top of that, Tami also serves as a board member of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and president emeritus of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy.

  • Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler, D.P.A.

As an NCF board member, Lisa brings an exceptional track record and extensive experience in social equity, workforce development, and community capacity building.

She’s currently the executive director of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, co-founder of JBM Strategic Partners, and a professor of practice at UNLV.

Invest in Women, Invest in the Future

Women’s involvement in philanthropy has evolved over time, and it’s reshaped the landscape of charitable giving. By 2030, experts predict American women will inherit nearly $30 trillion of financial assets from baby boomer family members, marking the age of the great wealth transfer. That said, women are ideally positioned to drive major philanthropic influence for generations to come. Nevada Community Foundation is excited to support this movement, and we encourage everyone to do so as well. Let’s build a healthier, happier, more equitable future together.

Ready to build a giving strategy that reflects your personal values? Reach out to NCF to get started.