Nearly 15 percent of philanthropists (14.6 percent) give to women’s and girls’ causes, according to a new study by the  Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

Another 29.4 percent give to organizations that in part focus on women and girls. The institute released its findings in “Giving to Women & Girls: Who Gives & Why.” This is the latest research undertaken by the institute, which is part of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at the University of Indiana.

“We hope the donors will use this information to focus their giving and that nonprofit organizations will use it to establish relationships with donors and to better align their work with what donors want,” says Debra Mesch, director of the institute.

The survey of 1,000 philanthropists also revealed that many donors simply do not know of the organizations that devote their efforts to women and girls.

In other instances, the donors feel the issues facing women and girls are so complex and the remedies so hard to scale up that they feel overwhelmed, Mesch says.

The study shows donors who support causes for women and girls find motivation in their personal experiences and they believe funding women’s and girls’ initiatives leads to progress for society.

As might be expected, more women give to women’s and girls’ causes and give in larger amounts than men, although men with daughters also find this a worthy cause, the study says.

“Female respondents are more likely than male respondents to give to some specific women’s and girls’ related causes, such as domestic violence; women’s centers; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights; cancer research, diagnosis and support; and economic opportunities for women and girls,” the study says.

The institute will next research which marketing techniques work and which do not to help women’s philanthropic organizations reach the donors who want to help them, Mesch says.