What Should Young Female Entrepreneurs-to-Be Look Out For When Entering the Nonprofit Sector?
BY ROSE BOURDEAUX
Barbara Shaw, Executive Director of Hands on Hartford. MetroHartford Alliance
New England native Barbara Shaw is currently the executive director of a nonprofit community service organization called Hands On Hartford, a social service nonprofit organization that serves Hartford’s most economically challenged residents in the areas of food, housing, and health, based in Hartford, Connecticut. Growing up in New York, Shaw always had an interest in “human beings in systems,” and earned a BA in social work because of it. Going into the field of direct services, working hands-on with clients and on the front lines of inequality issues, she quickly discovered that the support system in place was causing the problems itself. Seeking to educate herself further, she went on to earn a masters degree in organizational policy, an advanced degree in social work with a concentration in administration and leadership, and a minor in peace work. These degrees not only equipped her with an understanding of what service organizations within the system dealt with, but also with knowledge of direct work and inspiring policy change at a local, state, and national level.
After a couple of decades in the field, she came to Hands On Hartford, a nonprofit that was in need of system changes. Shaw says that her subspecialty as a leader in this field is “helping to create systems that allow for continuous quality improvement, setting up strong clinical systems [...], doing policy development [...] and change work with staff.”
After working as the senior service director for 10 years at HOH, Shaw transitioned into the role of an executive director, causing her focus to shift from internal to external. This transition proved to be a challenge, as she had only ever worked in direct services, and said that what motivates her is “the people we serve.” Shaw says that this discomfort is why she never felt inclined to work as a leader in an institutional nonprofit, such as the state department and hospitals, because she feels that it is too far away from where she feels she serves the best. While Shaw is extremely proud of her career, it is impossible to ignore that leaders in the nonprofit world do not make as much money. Professional challenges that come with this choice are committing to a job that asks a lot but has less money and offers less benefits. It is also important to note that female leaders dominate nonprofit leadership. Many small community-serving nonprofits are led by women, but when moving from small and midsize organizations to larger nonprofits, men start to emerge in larger numbers.
The men here make more money than women to Shaw’s disbelief, as she says “In a field that’s dominated by women, somehow men can still make more money than women. Isn’t that crazy? In today’s world!” It is important to remember that sexism still exists everywhere in the business world, including nonprofits, and Shaw says that it is “one of the things that we women have to think about as leaders, in whatever field we go into.”
Shaw says that she has personally experienced this at her own agency as well. Having entered the field in the 70s when these disparities were rampant, men far less experienced than she was were earning more. While this particular issue was resolved over time, Shaw says that 40 years later the problem is not solved, and that women “still have to watch these disparities, even in the nonprofit sector.” Shaw believes that a solution to this particular bias could stem from a premise that women embody a “servant leader,” and that they tend to be more empathetic, dedicated, and willing to sacrifice more than men, and that this should be shown in the pay difference. Shaw says that this bias can even affect her sometimes, and that when hiring, she has to double check any assumptions and premises she carries herself, and that “as women, as leaders, we have to really be aware of [this issue] and constantly fight.”
Hands on Hartford. Hartford Business Journal
As advice for individuals wanting to enter this field, Shaw recommends that you ask yourself where you want to spend your time, and that mid-size nonprofits tend to be closer to the people they serve, and offer more hands-on services. She also says that while women and people of color have to be “on guard” against being treated unfairly by any system, the work is rewarding, and you must feel “passion, connection, hope, and admiration for this work in order to do it.”
As a leader herself, Shaw says that it took her years to find her own authentic way of speaking. She found herself struggling with public speaking, then discovered that she spoke well with groups of people casually. Shaw recommends that as a leader you must “really understand and lean into what you do well and what makes you comfortable and confident. Because from that place then, I can tell the story from the perspective of the people we serve. I can express gratitude authentically, I can ask for support in a compelling way. And that’s a lot of leadership in nonprofits.”
Leadership is the best and most effective when it is about who you really are and enjoying what you do and wanting to make a difference, no matter what field, so finding “your own [...] authentic way of speaking” is an important part of becoming a leader, especially in the nonprofit sector. Shaw says that “in today’s labor market, [...] folks that demonstrate leadership ability often get promoted, and sometimes very quickly” and that there exists a “pretty quick pathway” to leadership in many nonprofits. The exodus of older generations retiring leaves behind vacuums for younger successors to work their way up, take over leadership positions, and continue to promote positive change in the community.
