Fostering a Culture of Gender Inclusion in Fundraising and Nonprofit Spaces (Virtual)

Systemic gender bias and sexism are pervasive in the nonprofit sector. It is a myth that the “do-gooder” nature of nonprofits means an organization is more self-aware or better equipped to challenge power imbalances that exist in society. The racial, gender and class power structures we see in the wider world are common in the nonprofit world.

Although women account for 73% of the nonprofit workforce only 45% of nonprofit CEOs are female and just 21% are CEOs of organizations with a budget of at least $25M. The data is even less equitable for women of color as only 7.5% of all nonprofit executive staff and 14% of nonprofit boards are women of color. Furthermore, women in nonprofits make 66% of the salaries of their male counterparts. Until we understand how gender bias appears in nonprofit and fundraising spaces, the power dynamics at play, we cannot begin to change the impact of gender bias on employees and organizations.

The question becomes, how should organizations address inequities within the philanthropic sector they rely on? To examine inequity more deeply, organizations must embrace intentional DEI strategies in organizational partnerships, hiring and retention practices, board expectations, and donor relationship building. We will discuss the basic patterns of gender bias, how bias differs by race and culture, the implications of gender bias in the workplace, and power structures in nonprofit and community spaces.

SPEAKERS

Saadia Ahmed
Founder and Advisor

Saadia is a community and thought leader in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. She is the founder and advisor to numerous nonprofit and community initiatives some of whom include Gem Advisers Mentorship Program, Define 360, Masjid Al-Islam, Texas Muslim Women's Foundation (TMWF), DREAM DFW, Strong Muslimah, and Yaqeen Institute. A Bangladeshi American, Saadia has also worked in the policy and advocacy space as a Senior Fellow at Wendy Davis for Texas Governor, Deputy Director at Bangladeshi Americans for Biden-National Council, and Advisor for South Asians for Obama.

Saadia graduated in International Studies from Austin College and is pursuing a master’s degree in Islamic Studies from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. For her work, she received the “Trailblazer” award by Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, “Community Leader of the Year” award by CAIR Dallas/Fort Worth, and was the inaugural recipient of Radio Azad’s “Unsung Hero” recognition. Saadia has served on the American Muslim Professionals of Dallas (AMP'D) Advisory Board and is a current board member for Faith in Texas, Women Organizing Women Democrats, and Malikah.

Rachel Branaman
Principal Consultant
Talem Consulting

Rachel is the principal consultant of Talem Consulting, a national, full-service diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), woman-owned firm which provides nonprofits the tools they need to build capacity, fundraise, and dismantle systems of inequity. Our team provides an intersectional and equity-based framework to ensure the communities being served are centered in the work we do.

Rachel served as an executive director of Alley's House and in fundraising/development roles at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Dallas Heritage Village, and Dallas Children's Museum. She graduated from Austin College with a BA in French and from Regis University with a Master's in Nonprofit Management with a capstone project in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an alumnus of Leadership Texas, returned U.S. Peace Corps volunteer to Namibia (2009-2011), and currently serves as an executive board member of Association of Philanthropic Counsel (APC). Her community work includes advocacy around Peace Corps reform, healthcare, and national/ international civil rights policies.

REGISTRATION FEES

Members $25
Nonmembers $45

Full participation in Fostering a Culture of Gender Inclusion in Fundraising and Nonprofit Spaces is applicable for 1.5 credit point in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Make sure to track the events you attend; you are responsible for submitting this information to CFRE for credit. As an Approved Provider, our events listed as qualifying for CFRE credits will already be accounted for by CFRE International, so no additional documentation should be required from us.

Please contact [email protected] for questions regarding this event.