Hey, big spender …

No, not you, fella. We’re talking about your lady friend.

While the scuttlebutt in the hospitality industry has always been that men are better tippers than women, some new research shows that women are much more generous with their charitable donations.

Research from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University shows that women give more than men do at all income levels and across all types of giving.

The survey tracked charitable giving by male and female single-head households. Couples were not used in the survey so researchers would be sure the contribution came from either a man or a woman.

At nearly all income levels, women are not only more likely to give to charities, but also more likely to give more money than men.

Among those at the top of the income ladder, those earning more than $103,000 per year, women gave an average of $1,910 to charity per year, while the average man with the same income gave only $984.

The differences were similar at the lower end of the scale. Among those earning less than $23,509 per year, women gave an average of $540 per year and men gave only $281.

In nearly every charitable area, women are more likely than men to give.

About 36 percent of single women said they give to a religious institution, while only 25 percent of men do.

To causes that help the needy, 23.4 percent of women give, while only 19.9 percent of men do.

Health care and medical research? Sixteen point seven percent of women give, compared to 12.1 percent of men.

Only in arts and cultural giving did men barely top women, 5.6 percent to 5.5.

Over all, charitable giving for the first half of the year was up 12.3 percent. While much of that was related to the outpouring of help for Haiti, it shows that Americans are still opening their wallets, even in a down economy.

The study does not attempt to explain why men and women act so differently.

One explanation may be that women are more likely to volunteer than men, according to a 2006 study by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Across the U.S., 32.4 percent of women volunteer, compared to 25 percent of men.

Interestingly, the busiest women are the most likely to volunteer. Females with children under 18 and who are employed are more likely to volunteer (39.9 percent) than women without children (29 percent).

It seems likely that people donate to groups they are associated with, either as members (like a church) or as volunteers (like a school or hospital).

Or, it could just be that the stereotype is true — maybe women are just more nurturing and compassionate than men, leading them to feel more strongly about charitable causes.

Regardless, charitable giving — whether it be time or money — represents something admirable about the human spirit.

And, at least when it comes to giving, women are a bit more admirable than men.

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