Carrot and stick
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Where are the sector's female leaders?
Civil society organisations should be a shining example for workplace equality. Where are all the women at the top of our profession, asks Rowena Lewis.
Can you name ten high profile fundraisers in the sector? No doubt. Our profession boasts exceptional talent and leadership. But if I asked you to name ten high profile female fundraisers, could you do it?
To all intents and purposes the message is that the shape of leadership in our profession is masculine. In 2009, the International Fundraising Congress came under fire for the prominence of male speakers, despite an overwhelmingly female delegate make up. This is not the first time that the limelight falls on a homogenous group. But can we afford the implication that leadership is predominantly masculine? Are we prepared to run the risk of alienating up-and-coming female talent from progressing a career in fundraising in the face of a relative absence of female role models?
While the shape of fundraising leadership is conspicuously male, our profession is overwhelming female (women make up 68 per cent of Institute of Fundraising members) and so is our donor base. The characteristics and giving patterns of the infamous Dorothy Donor are well researched and familiar to all, alongside the emergence of Felicity Donor representing a new generation of giving.
So if 71 per cent of the voluntary sector workforce is female, where did all the high profile women go? Well, they never got there in the first place. The voluntary sector is as much party to gender inequality as the private and public sectors. Last month’s Fundraising top 100 Directors of Fundraising Survey found that male fundraising directors earn 11.5 per cent more than women in the role.
Also ACEVO’s 2009 salary survey shows that female CEOs are paid on average £7,550 less than their male counterparts, and that men are twice as likely to be chairs. Pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment are as much part of the experience of fundraising professionals as for other professions both within and outside our sector.
The difference is the absence of a progressive debate on these issues in the voluntary sector. The sector has limited engagement with what is now a fervent debate around workplace equality as the Equality Bill moves through Parliament. A dialogue between leaders from the public and private sectors and Westminster policy makers is currently shaping the future of equality legislation which will ultimately impact on the voluntary sector. But where is our voice in this debate?
I am proud to be part of an incredibly diverse sector championing social justice. But I lament the absence of a vibrant debate on workplace equality. We have a responsibility to share our experiences, to challenge current thinking, so that the sector and our profession are not only informing the refining of workplace equality legislation, but are leading by example with workplace practices that are the envy of the private and public sectors alike.
Promoting inclusive workplaces may seem low on the priority list for those of us adapting to a new and challenging economic climate. Leave it to HR you may think. But so long as fundraisers form the bridge between the movement for social justice and those who contribute to its impact and sustainability through voluntary giving, we have an acute understanding of the importance of accountability, and a responsibility to ensure that our sector lives and breathes the values of diversity and inclusion.
So think again about the ten female fundraisers you most admire, and ask yourself why they don’t have greater profile. Think about your experiences, male or female, as a fundraiser. Do you feel there is more that can be done to progress our sector and our profession as examples of equal opportunities in practice? As living, breathing case studies of best practice in translating social justice into workplace equality?
Rowena Lewis is head of fundraising and development for the Fawcett Society
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Ed
Head of IG
Crisis
11 Feb 2010
I suspect the profusion of high profile male fundraisers compared to female, is less to do with institutional sexism, and more to do with the propensity of men to show-off.
There is a small clique of self-important, back-slapping, limelight-loving fundraisers (see PF's 50 most 'influential' list for a pretty good summary) who are no more talented than their colleagues (you could argue less) but who certainly are more vocal in opinion, and more public in celebrating success.
In my experience, with some notable exceptions, this group are mostly male.
I have met many excellent fundraisers - a lot of them women - who no-one has heard of. They quietly get on with producing great work and raising millions for their cause.
As much head-hunting goes on for top jobs in the sector, and head-hunting in large part relies on who-knows-who or whose well-known, this could go some way to explaining why there are fewer women holding senior positions as well.
Rowena
Head of Fundraising and Development
The Fawcett Society
11 Feb 2010
Response to [ Ed]
Ed - your comment is interesting to say the least. Whilst many fundraisers would echo your sentiment, few are prepared to put finger to keyboard so to speak. I'd be interested to hear more about your thinking on women's representation. If you're up for it, you can get in touch with me via the Fawcett Society.
John Brady
Head of Fundraising
Sense Scotland
9 Feb 2010
While the article, and Lindsay’s subsequent post, may be accurate from a London perspective gender balance is a bit different in Scotland. The current chair of the Institute of Fundraising in Scotland, and her 2 immediate predecessors, are women. There are a significant number of Heads and Directors of Fundraising who are female. I worked on a consortium of 7 charities where the most senior fundraiser was the representative and I was the only male out of seven. The steering group of the Directors and Heads of Fundraising Forum has 5 members, again I am the only male. At the next meeting of the Directors and Heads of Fundraising Forum in Scotland two thirds of attendees are women.
I am not for one minute suggesting there is no gender issue at a UK-wide level. Certainly though things are different in Scotland and who knows maybe there is some sort of learning that can be obtained.
Jo Middleton
Freelance Writer
Self-employed
17 Feb 2010
Response to [John Brady]
I think you make an interesting point John - all my work as a fundraiser has been in the south-west of England, in small organisations, often where I'm the lone fundraiser in an organisation. At events, conferences and meeting though I haven't come across the same issues as Rowena highlights as being present in the London world of fundraising - I wonder why this is?
I also sit on the IoF SW regional committee, and the majority of members are women. Having said that, although 95 per cent of the work is done by our hugely dedicated secretary, the chair is a man!
Rowena
Head of Fundraising and Development
The Fawcett Society
10 Feb 2010
Response to [John Brady]
John, I'm pleased you've highlighted regional variations.
The figures quoted in this article are for the UK as a whole. So we miss out on the specifics including location, but also - spectrum of small to large charity, charitable cause, in-house and consultancy etc.
The regional perspective is an interesting angle from which to explore gender diversity, and I suspect you're right, delving into regional differences would throw up some useful learning. Chatting with Pam Judson has given me a flavour of the fundraising community in Scotland but I'm in the dark on the gendered make-up of Scottish fundraisers.
Would the Institute of Fundraising in Scotland have to hand figures to illustrate the gender split, pay, and representation in Scotland?
Lindsay Boswell
CEO
IoF
9 Feb 2010
Rowena is absolutely right, but it does seem wrong that the first person to reply is a man! This is an area where fundraising is making more progress than many other areas however despite a whole clutch of highly capable women at fundraising director at major charities the balance does not reflect the sheer female weight of numbers in the IoF membership.
One practical step is to look at the personal development opportunities that exist and to grab them with both hands. The Clore Social Leadership Programme is one such example worth looking at and Rowena is leading by example......... as she is part of the first intake. How is it going, Rowena?
Interestingly the IoF struggles to get more women elected to our board as the membership seems to vote in men more often that not. Is it that women don't bother voting, vote for men or just random chance?
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Jackie Mendoza
Executive Director
Rosa UK
15 Feb 2010
I'm slightly embarrassed that it's taken me this long to comment Rowena, and thank you for what is certainly a thought-provoking piece. Perhaps it's taken me a while to respond because I've been in a bit of a quandary about this one. And the reason for that is because when it comes to thinking about the female fundraisers that have inspired me throughout my career, I'm actually able to name quite a few who have operated/are operating at senior level. I've had the great pleasure of working with at least five of the women on my list and another was my mentor for a good while.
At the same time, as someone who came from the commercial sector, I certainly experienced the voluntary sector as much more open to workplace equality especially when I took one look around the fundraising department and found a predominance of women. I have even gone on to mention elsewhere that because of this, I can honestly say that I don't consciously recall a time when I've faced discrimination on the grounds of gender in the voluntary sector.
Interestingly, the one area where I drew a very short list recently was in trying to pinpoint the number of fundraisers and marketers (either male or female) who have made it to Chief Exec level. I think with that, as well as the issue of female fundraising leaders, we need to have more people (and women certainly) who are willing and brave enough to step forward and set a precedent.
I'm very interested to see how this debate unfolds - I'm aware that it already has elsewhere in the blogosphere - especially if it encourages greater discussion on the existence (or not) of workplace equality in the sector.
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