It is widely assumed that women are more charitable than men.

A new poll puts a number on it: Wealthy women give away nearly twice as much of their wealth as their male counterparts.

In a survey due out this week, Ledbury Research for Barclay's Wealth found that women in the U.S. give an average 3.5% of their wealth to charity. The survey of 500 people with investible assets of $1 million or more found that men give an average of 1.8%

And it isn't just a U.S. phenomenon. In the U.K., women give an average of 0.8%, compared with 0.5% for men, the survey shows.

Yes, the finding confirms stereotypes. But it also has big implications for the future of philanthropy.

More and more women are earning their own wealth, thereby becoming big donors in their own right. And even when it is the husband's or dad's money, women often are taking the lead in directing charitable dollars.

It isn't just the percentages that are different but also the method of giving. The report says women have a greater sense of collaboration and will seek a variety of opinions before making a decision. Men often decide on their own.

Wealthy women donors, therefore, will be more likely to work in partnership with charities, rather than dictating terms. That is in stark contrast to the 'My-way-or-highway' tendencies of venture philanthropy.

'The future of philanthropy may ultimately lie in understanding how men and women might work in partnership,' says Matthew Brady, Managing Director, Barclays Wealth in the Americas. 'It's going to be much more collaborative.'

Of course, the reality is that men still earn and control the majority of the wealth.

Still, do you think women such as Melinda Gates will change philanthropy?

普遍的看法是女人比男人更有爱心。

一项最新调查用数字证明了这一点：富裕女性的捐款占其财富的比例是男性的两倍。

研究公司Ledbury Research为Barclays Wealth进行的此项研究发现，美国的女性平均捐出了其财富的3.5%,而男性平均为1.8%.这项研究调查了500名可投资资产不低于100万美元的富人，结果定于本周发布。

盖茨夫妇并不是美国才存在这种现象。调查显示，在英国，女性和男性的捐款占其财富的平均比例分别为0.8%和0.5%.

的确，这个发现证实了人们的传统看法。但这也对慈善事业的未来具有重要意义。

越来越多的女性靠自己的努力致富，因此能够自己做主大笔捐赠。即使是丈夫或父亲的钱，女性往往也在慈善捐款中起带头作用。

这不仅是百分比的不同，而且还有捐款方法的不同。这份报告说，女性的协作感更强，在作出决定前也会征求各种意见。而男性往往自己做决定。

因此，富有的女性捐款者更有可能与慈善机构合作，而对慈善机构发号施令。这与慈善创投"一切由我做主"的倾向形成了鲜明对比。

Barclays Wealth驻美洲董事总经理布雷迪（Matthew Brady）说，慈善事业的未来可能最终取决于了解男性和女性如何协作。他说，这一事业将要有更紧密的合作。

当然，现实情况是男性仍创造和控制着大部分财富。

不过，你认为梅琳达？盖茨（Melinda Gates）这样的女性将会如何改变慈善行为呢？