Now that women have climbed the economic ladder to a level close to men’s success, one woman says it’s time to decide how to give it away. Consultant Tracy Gary helps women who have enough resources to share, decide how to do that. She says the most important thing you can do is express yourself in this time of national changes, and you can do that in business, family and your philanthropic life. Gary says philanthropy is an important function in a democracy, and the idea of charity and giving is nothing new.Women have been giving for a long time in all kinds of ways, and she says more than 60 percent of Americans volunteer, and more than 70-percent give. During a recent visit to Iowa, Gary explained donating time and money lets you be a “force for change.” She says you should think about your priorities and how you’d like to see your community, country and world change, and how can your giving reflect your values? Gary says most nonprofits are well-run, and a woman who wants to give to a good cause has a lot of choices.Sitting down and planning what places could use support, which leader or change in the community you’d like to give to on behalf of women. Tracy Gary, the author of “Inspired Philanthropy — Creating a Giving Plan,” advises to check out a database of nonprofits, at the website guidestar.org.
