Moving Up the Nonprofit Ladder

This brief report, put together by the UTA Center for Advocacy, Nonprofit, and Donor Organizations (CAN-DO) is meant to help female professionals in the nonprofit sector take their careers to the next level; that of leadership or executive positions within their organization. Additionally, we hope that this book is useful to existing organizational leaders to demonstrate to them that their agencies need women in these positions to fully realize their potential and fulfill their mission. As a woman in the nonprofit sector you no doubt have seen the dramatic disparity that exists between the roles men and women are given in many organizations. If you work for a large agency, it is likely that your board of directors and top management positions are almost entirely filled with men despite the overwhelming majority of women engaged in doing the work on the ground. In fact, this is the case with many industries, nonprofit or otherwise, in which women make up the majority of the workforce; teachers, nurses, retail, the list goes on. Now at first, you might be tempted to chalk this up to the priorities of men vs. women. In putting this report together we've seen articles and research make such claims over and over. Men are competitive and money-driven. They desire to lead while women are focused on interpersonal connections, balancing work and family, and working directly with clients. Despite these perceptions, nonprofits with women at the helm consistently outperform their male-led counterparts in many measures, and they do so, it appears, without having to compromise their values. Instead, women incorporate their empathy and interpersonal skills into their leadership roles. Our interpretation of the literature is that the only trait that really makes a difference is access. The real reason that men are in leadership positions more than women is because they have far greater access. Men simply have the open access to leadership positions because they have always had it. Engrained pathways, "The Old Boys Club," preferential hiring practices; whatever labels we choose to place on the systemic issues of gender discrimination, women are still fighting for equal access, equal pay, and the kind of direct path to leadership that men have enjoyed for quite a long time. This report gives you, the female nonprofit professional, the added firepower necessary to take to this fight and emerge victorious. Beyond the hypothetical, theoretical, and more idealistic discussions, this report will also give you the practical steps necessary to begin your journey to leadership immediately. These steps will help you prioritize your career goals and then, as your plans dictate, begin to set yourself apart within your organization as someone who wants to lead; someone who is an asset to the future of your agency. You will learn how to connect with the board of directors, a critical component of moving to top positions. We will also help you analyze your current position in the new light of your motivation to advance and show you how to make your agency's success your success by engaging in your organization's mission outside of the office. Finally we will discuss how, as an emerging leader, you can work to facilitate larger change within the industry in order to ease the struggle for advancement for the next generation of female nonprofit leaders.