How Focused Giving Can Unlock Billions and Catapult Women's Wealth

Originally published on World Economic Forum.

I’ll start with a big statement:

Strategic corporate giving, with a relentless focus on return on investment (ROI), can dramatically transform the economic landscape for women globally.

Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? No.

But first, we must address and close a massive gap. Nearly one billion people worldwide live on less than $2.15 per day. Each year, only $200 billion in aid is available. Yet, it is estimated that over $4 trillion in additional capital is needed in low- and middle-income countries to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That’s 20 times more than the world’s $200 billion annual aid budget.

This resource gap isn’t a problem if every $1 in philanthropy catalyzes $20 in community wealth. Unfortunately, most interventions typically only deliver twice ROI. This resource gap isn’t a problem if every $1 in philanthropy catalyzes $20 in community wealth, as a standard ROI.

But there’s good news: the potential to create substantial wealth for women through strategic donations remains largely untapped. We believe 20 times ROI is possible, which is ten times better than today’s average two times ROI. We’ve seen programmes using market-based approaches that deliver four times, ten times and even 29 times multipliers for each donor dollar received.

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