Network for Good Celebrates Women in Nonprofit

As we celebrate International Women’s Day (and all of Women’s History Month) it’s worth taking a moment to look at the state of women working in the nonprofit sector. In a field where so many women find their calling, what is it that drives us?

In this past year, we’ve seen a massive groundswell of women taking center stage in politics, entertainment, and business. From the #MeToo movement to the 2018 midterm elections, it has truly been a year of the woman. Are women achieving this same power and equality in the nonprofit world?

Gender Parity in the Nonprofit World

Women make up an impressive 73 percent of the nonprofit workforce in this country. The visibility of female employees on the nonprofit scene can make it easy to believe that nonprofits have achieved gender parity across the sector. However, is the glass ceiling more pervasive in nonprofits because of this perception?

In an article recently published by DRG Search, a firm that recruits executive-level talent for nonprofit organizations nationwide, the numbers were surprising.

• Only 21 percent of large nonprofit CEOs are women.
• Just 7.5 percent of all nonprofit executive staffs (and 14 percent of nonprofit boards) are women of color).
• Women in nonprofits make 66 percent of the salaries of their male counterparts.

While GuideStar’s 2018 Nonprofit Compensation Report found that more women are leading nonprofits, they are still more likely to lead smaller organizations rather than large ones.

So, what is it that attracts us to these causes, full of long hours, hard work, and traditionally low pay? For many of the women we spoke to, it all came back to one thing—the relationship-building inherent in fundraising and nonprofit work.

Women to Watch

Throughout March, we’ll be featuring our interviews with inspiring female nonprofit executives and staffers. They come from different backgrounds, fight for difference causes and issues, and span the country. They are nonprofit founders, CEOs, coaches, fundraisers, and communication professionals. There is, however, one common denominator—philanthropy.

This Women’s History Month join us here on The Nonprofit Blog for a celebration of the work women do!