Based on the largest demographic data set to date for U.S. nonprofits, the report highlights macro-level findings with the goal of increasing transparency about diversity in the sector.
NEW YORK, May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Candid released today The state of diversity in the U.S. nonprofit sector, a report analyzing demographic data from 59,550 public charities collected over the last five years. It is the most comprehensive data set of its kind to date and establishes a benchmark to better track efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for funders, nonprofits, and researchers.
"The social sector has made big promises to prioritize equity—both in terms of who is leading in the sector and who is, or is not, getting access to funding. But we have lacked data that is standardized and accessible to measure where we are and track progress over time," said Candid CEO Ann Mei Chang. "This report is a foundational step in fulfilling our mission to provide the data the sector needs to become more efficient, effective, and equitable."
The 73-page report provides an overview of the nonprofit sector across four demographic categories: race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability status. The report is divided into four sections, leveraging demographic data nonprofits provided voluntarily about their own organizations:
1. Diversity among nonprofit employees in the sector overall, including at different levels of leadership.
2. CEO diversity by organization size, revenue, cause, and location.
3. Nonprofit board composition, including average board size and average representation of different identities on boards.
4. Differences between organizations with majority BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) leadership and majority white leadership.
The report's findings include:
-The nonprofit sector as a whole is racially diverse, but the leadership ranks are not. For example, 47% of all staff identify as white, compared with 70% of CEOs and 66% of board members.
-White male CEO representation increases with organization size, while BIPOC female CEO representation decreases.
-Smaller organizations tend to have smaller, more diverse boards.
-Majority BIPOC-led organizations have fewer financial resources. Median revenue for majority white-led organizations is 54% higher than it is for majority BIPOC-led ones.
"This report is the culmination of years of data collection and represents a new baseline for the social sector to better understand demographic patterns in nonprofits of all scopes and sizes," said Cathleen Clerkin, Ph.D., associate vice president of research at Candid. "At the same time, I hope this report is just the beginning. The true power of this data is to provide evidence that facilitates action. I hope that this report sparks new ideas for future policies and practices around equity and representation, as well as future research."
Starting in July 2019, Candid has invited nonprofits to voluntarily share demographic information about their organizations on their Candid profiles. The current study includes data collected from public charities through January 2024 and was made possible with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report is part of a broader effort to increase transparency and data access in the social sector. In February 2023, Candid launched Demographics via Candid, an initiative that empowers nonprofits to share their data one time through their Candid profiles, where it can be freely accessed and reused by all, including funders and researchers.
Read the full report at doi.org/10.15868/socialsector.43685.
About Candid
Candid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector. Every year, millions of nonprofits spend trillions of dollars around the world. Candid finds out where that money comes from, where it goes, and why it matters. Candid was formed in 2019 when GuideStar and Foundation Center merged. Candid combined GuideStar's tools on nonprofits and Foundation Center's tools on foundations with new resources to offer more comprehensive, real-time information about the social sector. Find out more at candid.org and on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Media Contact
Emma Chase
Red Fan Communications for Candid
512-917-4319
[email protected]
Mary Steyer
Senior Director of Communications & Brand Awareness, Candid
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Media Contact
Mary Steyer, Candid, 917-881-2162, [email protected], www.candid.org
Emma Chase, Red Fan Communications, 512-917-4319, [email protected], www.candid.org
SOURCE Candid
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