Phil is a database manager. He’s worked at the same charity for over 30 years and loves the cause. Every time a team of productivity experts do their review, they try to make his role redundant. It all looks fine on paper until they realise the problem. Phil is the only one who knows how the old legacy database works and where the data is buried. Without Phil the information on donors would be lost and the whole organisation would collapse. His job is safe as long as he wants it.
It makes me think of the role of women in non-profits. What would the sector be like without people identifying as female? Would it even survive? As International Women’s Day comes around again and yet more talented women are asked to speak for free at events, let’s celebrate what women have achieved for the social impact sector.
Women as donors
If you examine your donor database you’ll probably find that the majority of donors and supporters are female aged 35-55. Women may not have the same economic capacity as men, given the persistent gender pay gap, but they give regularly, loyally and generously. Typically they are the decision makers on family giving, even if the tax deduction gets listed under the man’s name. Mackenzie Scott in the USA is rewriting the playbook on philanthropy, focusing on capacity building for underserved causes. In Australia, trail blazers like Carol Schwartz and Betty Amsden inspired the next generation of philanthropists to create the She Gives movement, growing the power of women’s giving.
Women as staff and volunteers
Can you imagine the thrift shop income that would be lost without women behind the counter? Across Australia older women are the backbone of Op Shops that support causes of every size and provide a community hub for people desperate for connection.
The non-profit sector has long been dominated by female staff, with 70-75% identifying as women. Much of the work of the charitable sector aligns with gendered expectations of women: caring for others and doing so selflessly. Which leads us into the cycle of lower pay and funding scarcity. Caring professions are often undervalued and poorly remunerated. When government funding is less than adequate for many non-profit services, it feels like women are doubly disadvantaged. But still we fight on, for the sake of the cause, the beneficiaries and the impact we can make.
Women as leaders
The good news is that non-profits in Australia report great progress in women in leadership roles. Nationally, just 22% of CEO roles are held by women, but the NFP sector is leading the way with 89% having women in leadership roles.
An interesting trend to watch out for is the phenomenon of the ‘glass escalator’. It was coined by psychologist Christine Williams who found that men in female dominated industries experience a faster and smoother rise to the top than women. Male advantage persists, even in female dominated sectors. However, we can celebrate the steep improvement in female leadership in the last 10 years. Women are leading some of the most important work in social reform and societal change.
Mao Zedong said that ‘women hold up half the sky’. In the non-profit sector we don’t just hold up the sky but most of terra firma too. Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day with pride at what women have achieved for the non-profit sector.