Women Are Gaining Ground In Nonprofit Leadership, But Big Gaps Remain

Women continue to strengthen their presence across the nonprofit sector, but the broader picture is still uneven. A new look at recent sector data shows progress in leadership representation and executive pay, while also underscoring persistent disparities in funding, especially for organizations led by women of color. 

Women make up roughly three-quarters of the U.S. nonprofit workforce, and compensation data suggests they are slowly narrowing the pay gap at the top. Candid reports that female nonprofit and foundation CEOs now earn 73 cents for every dollar earned by male counterparts, up from 69 cents in 2013. In foundations, women now hold 63.8% of CEO roles, and their pay climbed to 88% of men’s compensation, an improvement from the prior year. Even so, the largest organizations remain a trouble spot, with the pay gap widening among nonprofits with budgets above $50 million. 

Funding trends tell a similarly mixed story. Giving to organizations serving women and girls rose after the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, but that increase did not hold. Donations climbed to 2.18% of all giving in 2022, then slipped to 2.04% in 2023. The article notes that many of these groups depend heavily on government support and a relatively narrow group of major donors, leaving them exposed to shifts in politics and the economy. 

The inequities are even sharper for women of color. Data highlighted in the piece shows they lead fewer organizations than white women and are more likely to head smaller, newer nonprofits that often struggle under grantmaking systems favoring larger, more established institutions. 

Still, the article points to promising responses. Some women-led nonprofits are building more durable operating models through cross-sector partnerships, blending philanthropy with Medicaid reimbursements, hospital cost-sharing, and private-sector support. Others are pushing funders toward more flexible, community-centered approaches that shift decision-making power closer to the people being served. 

The piece closes with lessons from women leaders stepping away from top roles: trust frontline organizations earlier, provide flexible multiyear support, listen deeply, build community intentionally, and create space for others to lead. The overall message is that women in the sector are making real gains, but structural barriers around compensation, scale, and access to capital are still slowing broader progress. 

Source:  Candid