Key Takeaways
- Women power the economy but face systemic gaps, from the gender pay and wealth gaps to the added strain of caregiving, single motherhood, and the "motherhood penalty".
- Single moms and women entrepreneurs face unique hurdles, but entrepreneurship often gives them the flexibility and independence that traditional employment doesn't.
- Supporting women isn't just fair; it's smart economics. Stronger women mean stronger families, businesses, and communities.
- Philanthropic networking multiplies impact. Pooling resources, knowledge, and relationships accomplishes far more than individual giving alone.
- Women are reshaping philanthropy itself. They're giving in ways that are relational, emotionally driven, and community-rooted, with trillions in assets set to shift into women's hands by 2030.
- Networks of women supporting women create ripple effects. Investments in root causes like childcare help other women build stability, which strengthens entire communities.
- The Women United program run by United Way of York County is a powerful philanthropic network of women supporting women, and you can be part of it.
Why Equitable Support for Women Isn't Optional
Women are the quiet engine of the American economy. They fill nearly half of all breadwinner roles in households with children, a figure that climbs to 69% among Black mothers, and they disproportionately staff the classrooms, hospitals, and childcare centers that keep every other industry running. Yet despite all the ways women lift up economies, they continue to face financial barriers that men simply don't.
Closing those gaps isn't just the right thing to do; it's an economic necessity for everyone.
The Numbers Reveal a Double Wage Penalty
As of 2022, women in the US earned about 82% of what men earned, a gap that widens further for women of color. Over a lifetime, that pay gap compounds into an even steeper wealth gap: women own roughly 32 cents for every dollar of wealth held by men. Add in caregiving responsibilities, mothers spend nearly twice as much time on unpaid childcare as fathers, and it's easy to see why so many women are pushed into part-time work, into lower-paying flexible jobs, or out of the workforce altogether.
Single Moms Carry an Even Heavier Load
More than four in five single-parent households in the US are headed by women, and these families face a far higher risk of living in poverty than two-parent households. Without a second income, single mothers often struggle to afford quality childcare, save for emergencies, or invest in their own education. Research on single-mother entrepreneurship confirms this challenge directly: many single mothers turn to entrepreneurship out of necessity, using it as both a path to income and a way to control their own schedules around caregiving.
Women Entrepreneurs Deserve More Than a Seat at the Table
Supporting women-owned businesses isn't charity: it strengthens entire economies. Locally owned, women-led businesses tend to reinvest more of their revenue back into their communities, create diverse job opportunities, and add resilience to the local economic fabric. Statistically, black women entrepreneurs dominate this group, making up 90% of all new women-owned businesses between 2018 and 2019.
Working moms, in particular, make natural entrepreneurs: many mothers pursue business ownership for the independence, flexibility, and higher earning potential it offers compared to traditional employment. Mothers already manage competing demands on their time, money, and energy, skills that translate directly into entrepreneurial resilience.
The Ripple Effect Reaches Everyone
Supporting working mothers isn't just good for moms; it's good for employers and communities too. Companies that support working parents see higher retention, productivity, and morale. And when women are financially secure, families are more stable, children have better outcomes, and communities become stronger economically.
In short: equity for women isn't a women's issue. It's everyone's issue.
What Is Philanthropic Networking and Why Does It Matter for Women?
There's a new kind of networking for women, and it's all about shared power driving gender equity. It's based on the idea that strong women lift each other up.
More Than Just Writing a Check
A philanthropic network, also known as a donor network, is the practice of connecting donors, volunteers, and community leaders so their collective giving accomplishes more than any single person's generosity ever could. Rather than operating in isolation, members pool resources, share knowledge, and coordinate around common goals to create large-scale benefits.
Giving circles, in particular, have become a powerful model: groups of donors combine their charitable dollars and their time, learning from one another while multiplying their impact.
Women Are Reshaping Philanthropy Itself
Historically, women have been powerful drivers of philanthropy, and they're not showing signs of slowing down. By 2030, women are expected to control more than $30 trillion in US assets, representing one of the largest transfers of philanthropic power in history.
Research also shows that many women give differently than men: they're often more likely to give spontaneously, to be moved by emotional connection to a cause, and to discover causes through their everyday relationships and communities rather than formal research. This relational, community-rooted style of giving is exactly what makes the concept of a women's funding network or women donors network so effective; connection is already at the center of how they choose to help.
Why Networks of Women Supporting Women Matter So Much
When women pool their philanthropic power, the benefits multiply in a way that mirrors the caregiving networks women have always built for each other. These networks can:
- Combine financial resources to fund larger, more transformational programs than any individual gift could achieve alone
- Share knowledge and mentorship, helping members, many of whom are entrepreneurs, working moms, or professionals themselves, grow both personally and professionally
- Build lasting relationships and trust, since women's giving tends to be relationship-driven rather than transactional
- Direct resources toward root causes, like childcare and early childhood education, that specifically remove barriers for other women and families
When a network of women invests together, the impact doesn't stop with the check that's written. It ripples outward into stronger families, better-educated children, and more stable local economies.
Women United: Philanthropic Networking in Action
That's exactly the model behind Women United, a program run by United Way of York County in Pennsylvania. Women United brings together women across York County who are ready to harness their collective power as philanthropists, role models, and leaders. Members contribute an annual gift of $500 or more (or grow into that level through the Step-Up Program), and those combined gifts fund Early Childhood Education Scholarships. This directly helps working parents afford the childcare they need to stay employed and build financial stability.
Beyond fundraising, Women United connects its members to each other through quarterly events, volunteer opportunities, and a network of like-minded people committed to building a stronger York County.
That's the power of philanthropic networking, one woman's generosity multiplied by hundreds of others, working together to lift up the moms, workers, and entrepreneurs who hold their communities together.
Stand United for Women With United Way of York County
United Way of York County in Pennsylvania assists working households on their journey toward financial stability. To meet the needs of this population, we are embarking on an issue-focused strategy to create a transformational impact for workers. We also offer workshops designed to educate and strengthen families.
Join a powerful network of women supporting women through leadership, philanthropy, and connection. Your donation helps working households stay employed and build stability by funding early childhood education scholarships and addressing the root causes of financial insecurity.
If you're able, you can help your underserved neighbors and friends with a donation. Gifts to United Way of York County's Impact Fund are dollars that stay in York County and impact lives where you live and work. Please consider giving today!