The Push and Pull: Declining Interest in Nonprofit Leadership
A quarter of BIPOC respondents in 2016 (25%) and 2019 (24%) were not interested in becoming an Executive Director/CEO of a nonprofit. The percentage climbed to almost one-third (32%) in 2022.
For over two decades the Building Movement Project (BMP) has been documenting the experience of leaders of color in the nonprofit sector. A new report titled The Push and Pull: Declining Interest in Nonprofit Leadership finds a “steady decline in the aspiration to lead for respondents not already heading organizations” (3).
More specifically, “A quarter of BIPOC respondents in 2016 (25%) and 2019 (24%) were not interested in becoming an Executive Director/CEO of a nonprofit. The percentage climbed to almost one-third (32%) in 2022” (6).
The report further finds that rather than being “pulled” into leadership—described as “encouragement, skills development, opportunities for advancement, positive role models, and the beliefs that they can make an impact by building on the foundation laid by their predecessors”—respondents “often appeared to be pushed towards leadership to correct their negative experience in the sector” (3). Specifically, they seek to address “negative organizational structures and/or obstacles to advancement” (3).
nonprofitquarterly.org/pushed-into-leadership-hung-out-to-dry/
Making The Ask Webinar
Nonprofit leaders of color face unique challenges when fundraising for their organizations. According to the Nonprofit Executives and the Racial Leadership Gap: A Race to Lead Brief, leaders of color, on average, have smaller budgets and report a lack of access to, and challenges securing, financial support from a variety of funding sources.
In this conversation, Starsha Valentine, Charles Stephens, and Xandy McKinley shared their experiences, strategies, and tools to help BIPOC leaders improve their fundraising strategies. They explored their individual experiences as Black professionals working with nonprofit organizations, discussed challenges, and successes.
Nonprofit leaders of color face unique challenges when fundraising for their organizations. According to the Nonprofit Executives and the Racial Leadership Gap: A Race to Lead Brief, leaders of color, on average, have smaller budgets and report a lack of access to, and challenges securing, financial support from a variety of funding sources.
In this conversation, Starsha Valentine, Charles Stephens, and Xandy McKinley shared their experiences, strategies, and tools to help BIPOC leaders improve their fundraising strategies. They explored their individual experiences as Black professionals working with nonprofit organizations, discussed challenges, and successes.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation:
1. Authenticity and Personal Values:
The importance of showing up as your authentic self was a recurring message in the conversation. It is important to align one's personal values with the work being done. Articulating "why" you are passionate about the cause can greatly impact your fundraising efforts.
“Your passion gets conveyed whether you intend to or not–so being able to do work that is in line with your personal values allows you to speak more authoritatively about it which makes you a great fundraiser.” - Starsha
“Every now and then I ask myself ‘what is my work’ and I write it down to stay connected to my work and values.” - Charles
2. Addressing Income Disparity:
BIPOC led organizations have become resilient innovators. Income disparities can pose unique challenges and finding ways to bridge this gap is crucial. Overcoming these disparities takes strong networks, creative thinking, and collaboration.
“We need to start actually talking to each other, creating and holding space for each other to ask questions and being able to share our resources together.”
- Starsha
3. Building Relationships and Networks:
Building relationships emerged as a critical aspect of successful fundraising. Connecting with donors and funders on a personal level, sharing stories, and fostering meaningful relationships can improve the experience and processes of requesting support. Expanding networks, both within the nonprofit sector and beyond, was also mentioned as a valuable tool for gathering insights and approaching funders effectively.
4. Managing Mental Health as a BIPOC professional
Fundraising is challenging, stressful work. Managing these struggles requires support systems, boundaries, and balance.
“It’s beneficial to have a good support system–people that you can get on the phone with after you have hard conversations.” -Charles
Building support systems comes from trial and error and connecting with people and professionals who feel comfortable for you. It’s also validating to have others in your industry who share similar experiences.
“No is a complete sentence and prioritize rest” - Xandy
Find a balance between professional support and community building within the fundraising space. Create safe spaces for sharing experiences and challenges, both within the workplace and with peers. This balance can contribute to overall well-being and resilience in the fundraising journey.
5. Sharing Impact and Building Media Relationships:
Effective communication was emphasized as a key skill for successful fundraising. Charles shared his success in sharing impact and missions through various media platforms, including local grassroots publications. Building positive relationships with the media can play a crucial role in connecting with potential donors and supporters.
6. Diversify funding sources
There’s more than one way to raise funds for an organization. Develop strategies to engage with different funding sources and learn about what and how they fund before making an ask, responding to an RFP, or submitting an application.
7. Summary of tools, skills, and qualities for success:
Know what the story is
Understand the work you are doing and why
Share your story and the story of the organization
Believe that the work you are doing is meaningful
Expand your network
Ask questions and share experiences with other fundraisers of color
Actively work towards collaboration and less competition
Share resources
Build strong relationships with the media
Monitor funders and understand what they fund
Understand your fundraising strengths build them, and build around them
Diversify your funding sources
There are many different facets of fundraising and you don’t have to do it all yourself. Seek support as much as possible. - Charles
Additional Resources:
Why Black Leaders Must Read Black Writers, Charles Stephens
Trading Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs: A Race to Lead Report on Nonprofit Executives of Color
The Building Movement Project has released this report which focuses on the experiences and challenges of nonprofit leaders of color who have attained the top position in their organizations. It builds upon the findings of the 2019 Race to Lead Revisited report, as well as a previous report on nonprofit executives from the 2016 Race to Lead survey data.
Echoing Green - Racial Equity and Philanthropy
Because Black women often play integral roles in providing for their families and communities, they can have less time to focus on their own well-being. One consequence: they have the highest rates of obesity in the country. Nearly 60 percent are obese, and more than 80 percent are overweight.1 As a result, Black women die from preventable diseases at higher rates and at younger ages than any other group of women in the United States. Despite the statistics, 10 years ago virtually no approaches to obesity prevention targeted Black women.2 In fact when Dixon and Garrison first Googled “healthy Black women and girls,” the search results were dominated by porn.3 It made them wonder if there was a need for a health movement led by Black women, targeted to Black women, and shaped and influenced by the culture of Black women. GirlTrek’s success is a sign that the answer was yes.