A new report by Change Philanthropy, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) and Funders for LGBTQ Issues highlights the diversity of philanthropic staff and trustees.

The 2018 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals Report: A Tale of Two Sectors showcases data from Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ Diversity Among Philanthropic Efforts (DAPP) Survey. Respondents included approximately 947 individuals from 36 foundations, providing data on the diversity of their respective staffs and boards with regard to a number of personal identifiers, including race/ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, age and more.

Key findings:

• People of color make up 37.8% of the philanthropic workforce among the respondent group.

• Women account for 69.5% of philanthropy staff, while men make up 28.2% of the respondents and 1.1% of workers identify as non-binary.

• 16.2% of those surveyed identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

• Persons with disabilities make up just over 5% of surveyed philanthropic staff.

• 10% of respondents were born outside of the US.

Perhaps most intriguing in the report findings: The results of the DAPP Survey revealed a clear divide in the sector between foundations with a social justice focus and those with another focus." 

As shared in the report, "Foundations with a social justice focus — meaning their mission statement included the key words or phrases 'equity,' 'just society,' 'social change,' or 'social justice' — were far more diverse than foundations with another focus - for example foundations focused on economic opportunity, education, or health and whose mission statements did not include one of the aforementioned key words."

The result was in line with the hypothesis posed by researchers, that foundations with a "social justice mission" had more diverse staffs and boards than other foundations, with a higher percentage of LGBTQ people, people of color and people with disabilities.    

Change Philanthropy, EPIP and Funders for LGBTQ Issues include a series of recommendations in the report to increase recruitment, retention and support of diverse populations in the philanthropic workforce.

Key recommendations:

• Adding employment protections based on ability, gender identity, immigration status and other factors to foundations’ nondiscrimination policies.

• Conducting targeted recruitment outreach to underrepresented populations.

• Ensuring human resources policies support diversity, including extending benefits to same-sex partners and accommodating employees with disabilities.

• Providing regular staff trainings on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“A Tale of Two Sectors is non-fiction, and a happy ending is totally within our hands to write,” Pat Eng, president and CEO, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, said. “A diverse cast of characters is a ‘must have’ to make the most compelling ‘true story’ of social justice. For the love of humanity, let’s co-author a new tale of philanthropy together!”

Want more?

Read A Tale of Two Sectors.