Why is it important to have women in higher roles?

A poll was conducted on around 650 women working for not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. It was found that NPOs that lack women in leadership positions were missing out on donations and the opportunity to increase fundraising. Below are some important notes to consider:

 

  • 44% of female NPO workers believe their organization favours men over equally qualified women for chief leadership positions
  • 40% of women at large NPOs, specifically groups with at least $25 million in assets, said their organization did not put as much effort into identifying with these women as it does men. As a result, their organizations were losing money that could have been donated to their causes

 

Diversity is an important aspect of all organizations. Specifically for NPOs, having diversity in gender within the organization allows for a different perspective to be added to strategies and leadership. With the increase of women on boards and other leadership positions, this stimulates a top-down approach for the whole organization, including potential donors. The following article further explains the lack of women in leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector and the effects it has on organizations.

For a great visual representation of women in leadership and statistics, click here.

 

Reference:

http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/lack-of-women-in-leadership-positions-hurts-nonprofits-women-say

https://assets.rockefellerfoundation.org/app/uploads/20160512082818/Women-in-Leadership-Why-It-Matters.pdf