To Women of Color in Fundraising and Leadership
By Lola Banjo, Director of Marketing Communications, Campbell & Company and Sarah Beraki, Vice President of Executive Search, Campbell & Company
In a world of glass ceilings, constant policy changes, growing need, and frankly, more hoops than we can count, we are more grateful than ever to find respite in the community of women that WOC has fostered over the past five years. Among them are the visionaries, the change-makers, the backbone of so many movements that have shaped and strengthened our communities. Among them, you.
You are the storytellers who amplify silenced voices, the advocates who fight for justice, and the nurturers who create spaces of belonging and empowerment. And it’s no small feat.
In 2024, a study of 59,550 public charities found that 18% are led by women of color, ¹whose representation decreases with organization size: a staggering 44% of organizations with Black women CEOs report annual revenues below $50,000, compared with only 18% of organizations with white male CEOs and 16% of those with white women CEOs.² Despite the headlines, Women Leaders of Color Are Exhausted,³ and despite a sector that often relies on your brilliance but does not always recognize your value, you continue to rise.
So many of you carry the weight of your communities on your shoulders while making room for others to thrive.
You bring resilience to systems that were not built with you in mind, yet you redefine leadership with every step you take. You hold the line for equity, for representation, for a world where every person—especially those who have been marginalized—has access to opportunity, dignity, and joy.
Your labor is not just professional; it is often deeply personal. Just last year, a survey by Giving Gap found that 92% of Black nonprofit leaders have personal experience related to their nonprofit’s mission.⁴ Sound familiar? So many of you carry the weight of your communities on your shoulders while making room for others to thrive. You challenge the status quo with every program you design, every grant you secure, and every life you touch. You are the reason so many nonprofits don’t just exist but succeed.
Yet, we know the work is not easy. We see the sacrifices, the late nights, the emotional toll of advocating in spaces that sometimes resist your presence. We see the moments of exhaustion, the battles for fair pay, the need to prove—again and again—what should already be undeniable: that you belong in every room where decisions are made.
Please know this: You are seen. You are valued. You are loved.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, may you take up space unapologetically. May you rest when you need to. May you receive the same care and compassion you so freely give to others. And may you always know that your work, your presence, and your leadership are shaping history in real time.
With deep admiration and gratitude,
Lola and Sarah
¹Uchida, K. (2024, May 16). What to know about U.S. nonprofit sector demographics. Candid.org https://blog.candid.org/post/diversity-in-nonprofit-sector-candid-demographic-data-report/
²Brathwaite, L. (2024, February 22). Black women and gender-expansive nonprofit leaders: Combating the absence of trust. Candid.org. https://blog.candid.org/post/gender-expansive-black-women-nonprofit-leaders-challenges-sector-implications/
³Brathwaite, L. (2024, February 27). Women Leaders of Color Are Exhausted. Philanthropy Needs to Step Up. Philanthropy.org. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/women-leaders-of-color-are-exhausted-philanthropy-needs-to-step-up
⁴(2024, February 29). State of Black Nonprofits Report: 2024. GivingGap.org. https://givinggap.org/state-black-nonprofits-report/
Lola Banjo serves as Director of Marketing Communications at Campbell & Company, overseeing integrated marketing campaigns across various platforms, business development support, brand management, thought leadership, and association sponsorships.
Sarah Beraki serves as a Vice President of Executive Search at Campbell & Company, bringing her background in organizational development, sustainability, intercultural development, leadership, and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) to her work with leaders and organizations across the country.
Note that the views and suggestions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC).
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