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Don’t just assume that gender inequity doesn’t exist in your nonprofit organization.
Even though women represent 75 percent of people working in nonprofit organizations in the United States, we know that there are leadership positions and pay gaps rampant in nonprofit organizations.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom either. There are ways to create gender equity for your nonprofit organization.
Here are 15-steps for your nonprofit to create a culture of gender equity.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #1: Conduct a Recruitment Self-Audit for Nonprofit Gender Equity in Your Nonprofit
It is important to understand what your recruitment process is when seeking candidates for positions at your nonprofit organization.
When writing position descriptions do you seek employee input and develop consensus for position descriptions? This can be essential to having an internal spotlight on getting someone to fill real gaps.
An important note is to NOT put everything and anything into a job description. I have seen this too often be a ‘wish list’ rather than an actual job description. If you fill your job descriptions with too many wishes, chances are you will not get very many qualified candidates.
And chances are you will get more men applying than women, even if the men aren’t as qualified. Women don’t apply for jobs like men: Studies show that men often apply for jobs when they only meet 60% of qualifications, but women only apply if they meet 100% of them.
One other important consideration is, “Are you requiring previous salaries?” This can automatically give men a higher wage, as historically and currently, there is an average pay gap between men and women.
By asking for previous salaries, you are essentially continuing the gender and marginalized pay gap pattern.
For the full free Nonprofit Checklist for Gender Equity, click here.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #2: Evaluate Your Compensation System for Internal Equity in Your Nonprofit
Evaluating your internal compensation system is just as important as hiring new folks.
Questions for your Nonprofit to Consider:
- Do you have a method to determine salaries and benefits?
- Do you have a consistent job evaluation system?
- Can workers negotiate their pay? (women vs. men) This may be flawed as historically women do not negotiate as often as men, even if they are more qualified for promotions compared to men.
- How long do men, women and minorities stay within job grades or scores before moving up?
For the full free Nonprofit Checklist for Gender Equity, click here.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #3: Evaluate Your Compensation System for Industry Competitiveness in Your Nonprofit
It’s vital to evaluate your nonprofit’s compensation system compared to industry standards.
Questions for your Nonprofit to Consider:
- Does your nonprofit have a method to determine the market rate for any given job?
- Can you be confident that men are not being compensated at or above market rates while women and minority workers are compensated at or below market rates?
- Do you consider whether the market has undercompensated certain occupations or professions before adjustments?
For the full free Nonprofit Checklist for Gender Equity, click here.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #4: Assess How Raises are Awarded in Your Nonprofit
Let’s get into pay raises at your nonprofit.
Questions for your Nonprofit to Consider:
- Do men, women and minorities receive consistent raises based on similar performance standards?
- Are all workers with outstanding evaluations awarded the same percentage increases? If not, what are the reasons for the difference?
- Are men, women and minorities with similar levels of performance awarded bonuses on a consistent basis?
- Do they receive bonuses of similar monetary values?
For the full free Nonprofit Checklist for Gender Equity, click here.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #5: Evaluate Employee Training, Development and Promotion Opportunities in Your Nonprofit
The thing is, you may discover that your nonprofit does in fact have gender pay gaps, but you aren’t sure how it got that way. One specific trajectory is for certain employees to be given (or seek) certain training or development opportunities, and then these slots are filled up before other employees are approached. That can lead directly (and very validly) to a promotion.
But here’s the thing. Men, on average, are more vocal to ask about employee training and opportunities. Women, on average, have more unpaid requirements such as picking up the kids after school, so may not have the extra time to stay at work late for additional employee training.
To change the culture of your nonprofit it is important to think outside the box for ways to seek more women and diverse inclusion for employee training opportunities. Classes taken online is one example of how you can narrow the gap.
Questions for your Nonprofit to Consider:
How are workers selected for participation in training opportunities or special projects that lead to advancement?
Are there differences by race or gender? If so, what can be done to widen the pool to reflect equal opportunity?
For the full free Nonprofit Checklist for Gender Equity, click here.
Nonprofit Checklist Step #6: Ensure Pay Transparency Practices in Your Nonprofit
Ensuring that your nonprofit practices transparency is a doozy. One of the quickest ways to create more gender equity within your nonprofit organization is to post salaries.
Yep, you heard that right. Why? Because this keeps everyone accountable. One of the most gender equitable pay ranges of any industry in the United States is the U.S. Federal Government.
Why? Because they have to post their salary ranges. This is the quickest and most effective ways to create more gender equity.
Questions for your Nonprofit to Consider:
- Do you regularly post job openings and salary ranges within the workplace?
- Do you publish your compens...
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