July 28, 2017 | Read Time: 1 minute
Although they make up more than three quarters of the professional work force in philanthropy, women are underrepresented in the highest echelons of leadership, according to a new report, suggesting that grant makers’ efforts to build a more diverse work force have not taken hold.
In 2015, 60 percent of executive leaders at grant makers were women, according to the report, which was based on two sets of data collected by the Council on Foundations. The council found that the proportion of women in executive leadership positions had increased less than 1 percent in the 10 years that ended in 2015.
Members of racial or ethnic minorities account for less than one-quarter of grant makers’ staffs, a figure that increased less than 2 percent during the same period.
Over the past several years, several foundation leaders have called on their peers to increase diversity in the workplace. If a foundation’s staff and board don’t reflect the populations they serve, many argue, a grant maker risks being out of touch. While diversity has been a prominent issue for many nonprofits, many report that progress has been slow.
The report “raises important questions about why there hasn’t been more change in the diversity of our institutions in recent years, despite the steps taken to create a more diverse and inclusive philanthropic sector,” said Vikki Spruill, the council’s president, in a statement. “We hope this report will spark a robust dialogue about what works and what we can do to make progress in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
