Nonprofits are holding back women of color leaders

The Winter 2019 bulletin from the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence is out. Statewide domestic violence listening tours, legislative updates, and a message from Executive Director Gwen Wright are all part of the issue. Plus, there are details on the state’s first-ever summit on risk reduction, among other topics. Read it all here.

Legal Services NYC has won a $7.34 million contract with the New York City Department of Social Services. The money will fund programming related to the Homelessness Prevention Law Project through June 2021, according to the City Record. The South Asian Council For Social Services has received a $178,333 contract from the agency to fund senior services. Urban Justice Center will provide legal services for veterans, per a $75,000 contract with the department.

Make the Road New York has broken ground on a new community center in Queens. The $28.6 million project is scheduled to be completed next year, according to a press release. It will double the nonprofit’s space for immigrant programs and services. It is financed through a mix of government and philanthropic funding, according to a spokesman. Several elected officials, including state Sen. Jessica Ramos, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and New York City Councilman Francisco Moya were on hand for the groundbreaking:

This morning, we gathered with community members, elected officials, partners, and supporters to celebrate the building of our permanent home— the first place of its kind in New York City.

Thank you for helping to make this milestone possible! #HereToStay pic.twitter.com/nEThjQtJpL

— Make the Road NY (@MaketheRoadNY) February 7, 2019

A new report examines the barriers faced by women of color in the nonprofit sector. About 4,000 nonprofit professionals took part in the 40-page study, which was conducted by Ofronama Biu, senior research associate at Building Movement Project. She found that women of color are paid less than their male and white counterparts. The social environments of nonprofits help explain why. Here are a few examples from the respondents:

• “When the senior leadership identifies and grooms a colleague they think would be an impactful “face” for this organization, that person is white, male and heterosexual. In one instance, I have far more experience and education, yet am not being groomed in this way,” said a black female respondent.
• “As a woman, I know that I don’t make the same amount of money as my male counterparts. I’m also often put into the role of serving the men. Why do you look to me to get coffee for the CEO? This isn’t ‘Mad Men’ and I’m (not) his assistant,” said another Latinx woman survey respondent.
• “I perceive that I am often not taken seriously in community spaces, especially in public policy situations. My delivery is often seen as being aggressive and my ideas aren’t seen as being credible. People, especially men, talk down to me and only hear my ideas when they’re repeated by other people. I think it limits my ability to advance my goals and get the work done,” an Arab-American woman respondent reported.