By Janell Turner, Managing Director

I usually travel with a sensible brown shoulder bag—functional, understated, the kind that politely carries my laptop and snacks without making a fuss. But a few months ago, I upgraded my carry-on game. I added a new “statement piece” to my collection, and I mean that literally. It’s a burlap tote with bold white letters splashed across the front: “Nothing Bad Happens When Women Have More Money.”

Now, I don’t just carry this bag—I stage it. I angle it outward like a billboard at the gate, daring someone to notice. And notice they do. At a pop concert in Ohio, a woman leaned over and hollered, “Love your bag—preach!” In an airport lounge, a woman in first class glanced down, smirked like she was in on a secret, then quickly hid her grin from her husband before giggling into her champagne. What delights me most is how universal the reaction is—whether young or old, Black or white, American or international, women respond as though the bag is more than a tote; it’s a password, a wink, a shared truth we’ve all been carrying quietly for generations.

The truth is, good things do happen when women have more money. That’s not just a catchy slogan—it’s backed by research.  The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University’s  Lilly Family School of Philanthropy recently published a comprehensive review of women’s giving, and the findings confirm what most of us already know in our bones: women give differently. We’re more likely to be motivated by justice, empathy, and care for community. We give to more causes, more often, and—brace yourself—even in larger amounts than men. Poverty, education, healthcare, the arts—you’ll often find women leading the charge to strengthen the social fabric for everyone. (Women in Philanthropy, A Literature Review, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, September 2025.)

By 2030, women are projected to become the primary wealth holders, and industries that once overlooked us are scrambling to adjust. Here’s a blog post we published last year highlighting  the rise of financially independent women. It turns out women don’t just bring money to the table—we bring values, priorities, and a whole new playbook for generosity. And that’s worth paying attention to.  

So yes, my tote bag is cheeky. But it also carries a message far bigger than any laptop or lipstick could: when women have resources, the world gets better. And we’re only just getting started.