Single women with high incomes give nearly twice as much to charities as single men, research from the University of Indiana shows.

The study found single women are usually more generous charity donors than single men. (iStock)The report Women Give 2010 draws its data from the Center for Philanthropy Panel Study, the largest database on philanthropic giving in the United States.

Researchers controlled for factors such as income, race, education and number of children in 8,000 households to allow a direct comparison between the charitable practices of single men and single women.

Married couples are by far the most generous when it comes to giving, but the researchers said it's important to understand the charitable patterns of single people.

Single women across all income levels were more likely to give to charities.

The greatest difference between men and women was found in the $67,000 to $103,000 income bracket, where women were 49 per cent more likely to donate to charities than men.

Women also gave more in all but one income bracket. Men earning $23,000 to $43,000 per year donated an average of $1,033 per year, compared with $701 for women.

'These findings have the potential to affect both donors and charities significantly.'—Deborah Mench, Women's Philanthropy Institute

However, in the highest income category, those making more than $103,000 a year, women more than doubled men's giving at $1,910 per year, compared with $984 for men.

Women who were never married or were divorced tended to give more than males in similar situations. However, widowed men gave more to charity than widowed women.

"These findings have the potential to affect both donors and charities significantly," said Deborah Mench, director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute and lead author on the study.

"Women may not realize they are giving more than men because their giving patterns differ. Understanding the power of their giving may encourage more women to consider the difference they can make with their giving."

Mench said the study should serve as a wakeup call for charitable organizations. She believes non-profits should pay closer attention to creating fundraising strategies that appeal to women's priorities.