Leading with Heart: Honoring the Women Who Power the Nonprofit Sector

March is Women’s History Month—a time to pause and reflect on the monumental contributions women have made across every sphere of life. From politics and science to art, education, and activism, women have shaped history and continue to build a better, more equitable future. But there’s one space where women’s leadership often flies under the radar, despite its profound impact: the nonprofit sector.

The truth is, women are the backbone of the nonprofit world. They make up the majority of nonprofit employees, lead a significant portion of nonprofit organizations, and carry the emotional and strategic weight of service-oriented missions. Their work is often humble, sometimes invisible, but always powerful.

This week, as we reflect on the theme of Women in Nonprofits, we celebrate the women who drive social change—not with fanfare, but with fierce commitment, compassion, and vision. This is a tribute to their leadership, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward equity and recognition.

The Numbers Speak: Women Are the Majority

Let’s start with the facts.

According to the Nonprofit Employment Report by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, women make up approximately 75% of the nonprofit workforce in the United States. This is significantly higher than in the for-profit sector.

And while women hold nearly half of nonprofit leadership roles, the numbers begin to tell a more complex story when race and organizational size are considered. Women of color, for instance, are dramatically underrepresented in top leadership roles, and executive positions at larger nonprofits are still often held by white men.

So, while the nonprofit sector is rich with female talent, there is still much progress to be made in ensuring equity in leadership, compensation, and influence.

Leading With Empathy and Grit

What makes women such powerful leaders in the nonprofit space?

For starters, nonprofit work often requires a leadership style rooted in empathy, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and community engagement—qualities that women tend to exhibit and elevate.

Female nonprofit leaders frequently find themselves wearing many hats: visionary, fundraiser, program director, coach, counselor, and sometimes even crisis responder. This multiplicity of roles is often performed with limited resources, tight deadlines, and high emotional labor.

Yet time and again, women rise to the challenge, bringing heart and hustle to their missions.

“We’re not just running programs,” one executive director recently said. “We’re walking alongside people during the hardest seasons of their lives. It takes strength to hold that space. It takes a different kind of leadership.”

The Legacy of Women in Nonprofit Work

Women have long played pivotal roles in shaping the nonprofit landscape. Their contributions span decades and disciplines—from community organizing to global humanitarian work.

Some iconic changemakers include: 

• Jane Addams, founder of Hull House in 1889, who is often considered the mother of social work in the U.S.     
• Dorothy Height, a civil rights and women’s rights activist who served as president of the National Council of Negro Women for four decades.     
• Frances Perkins, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet and a key architect of New Deal policies, whose early nonprofit and labor advocacy laid the groundwork for systemic change.

These women were visionaries, yes—but they were also disruptors. They challenged norms, built coalitions, and turned community care into national conversations. Their legacies live on in every modern nonprofit initiative that centers equity, justice, and access.

The Invisible Labor of Care

One reason women have historically flocked to nonprofit work is because the missions often align with traditionally feminine-coded values: care, compassion, and nurturing.

But herein lies a dilemma.

Society has a long history of undervaluing emotional labor and care work—especially when it’s performed by women. This leads to lower salaries, heavier workloads, and fewer leadership opportunities for women in nonprofits, despite their central role in organizational success.

This imbalance is further magnified for women of color, who often face both gender and racial bias while navigating nonprofit spaces. Many report feeling overlooked, underpaid, and overburdened—even as they carry the cultural wisdom and lived experience necessary for serving diverse communities.

It’s not enough to simply celebrate women in nonprofits—we must also acknowledge the systems that devalue their contributions and actively work to change them.

A Spotlight on Unsung Sheroes

For every high-profile nonprofit leader, there are hundreds of women behind the scenes, making programs run and communities thrive. They may not always get the spotlight, but their impact is profound.

Think of:     

• The grant writer who secures funding to keep a shelter’s doors open another year.     
• The program coordinator who builds trust with local youth and helps them find hope.
• The admin who juggles budgets, logistics, and late-night crisis calls.     
• The board member who quietly advocates for marginalized voices at the decision-making table.

These women are the glue holding organizations—and communities—together. And they deserve to be seen, heard, and supported.

Navigating Burnout and Boundaries

The passion that drives women in nonprofit work can also lead to burnout. A culture of overgiving, especially in underfunded organizations, often pushes women to work long hours, take on too much, and put themselves last.

In recent years, more women have begun to speak out about the need for sustainable leadership—leadership that makes room for rest, mental health, and work-life balance.

Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a systemic issue rooted in unrealistic expectations and the chronic underfunding of essential work. To truly empower women in the sector, we must normalize boundary-setting, wellness, and organizational cultures that care for their caretakers.

The Future Is Female (and Intersectional)

If we want to see stronger, more effective nonprofits, we need to invest in inclusive, intersectional leadership.

That means:     

• Elevating women of color to executive and board positions.     
• Funding leadership development programs specifically for women.    
• Closing the nonprofit gender pay gap.     
•  Creating family-friendly policies that support working mothers and caregivers. 
• Valuing emotional intelligence and community knowledge as leadership assets.

Young women entering the field today are bold, mission-driven, and unafraid to demand change. They are blending activism with innovation, bringing in new technologies, and using platforms like social media to amplify community voices. They are redefining what leadership looks like, and the sector is better for it.

Advancing the Seed: Supporting Women in Purpose-Driven Work

At Advancing the Seed, we’re deeply committed to supporting women in the nonprofit space—not just during Women’s History Month, but every day. Our programs are designed to:     

• Provide coaching and tools for nonprofit leaders to thrive.    
• Offer spaces of collaboration and mutual support through initiatives like The Nonprofit Circle. 
• Mentor emerging leaders and equip them with real-world skills to create lasting impact.

We understand that purpose-driven women are often navigating not just organizational challenges, but personal ones as well—from caregiving responsibilities to financial strain. That’s why our work is rooted in holistic support. Because we believe that when women are supported, entire communities flourish.

A Call to Action: Let’s Keep Lifting Women Up

So, what can we do—collectively—to keep championing women in nonprofits? 

• Recognize their work: Publicly celebrate women leaders, program managers, volunteers, and everyone in between.     
• Invest in their growth: Offer stipends, scholarships, and opportunities for continued learning.     
• Challenge inequity: Advocate for transparent salary structures, anti-racist practices, and inclusive governance.     
• Support their wellness: Make space for rest, reflection, and renewal in nonprofit culture.     
• Pass the mic: Create platforms for women—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—to lead, speak, and innovate.

In Closing: We See You. We Honor You.

To every woman working in the nonprofit world—whether you’re leading a national movement or coordinating local food drives—we see you.

We see your late nights, your stretched budgets, your deep love for your community. We see the way you show up, even when it’s hard. And we honor the legacy you’re building with each life you touch.

This Women’s History Month, and beyond, may we continue to elevate, celebrate, and advocate for the women powering change behind the scenes. Because when women lead with heart, the world transforms.