Jun
18
2026
Women of color lead some of the nation’s most innovative, community-rooted nonprofit organizations. Yet too often, conversations about leadership sustainability focus on individual resilience rather than the systems and resources that make long-term leadership possible.
Building Movement Project’s newest report, Beyond the Glass Cliff: Investing in Conditions That Sustain Women of Color Leadership, examines how philanthropic funding practices shape the experiences and sustainability of women of color leaders across the nonprofit sector.
Drawing on an analysis of 1,819 grants totaling $447.3 million, the report finds that while philanthropy frequently funds programs and organizational operations, it consistently underinvests in the infrastructure and long-term financial resilience that help leaders and organizations thrive over time.
- 81% of grant dollars supported organizational operations, while only 11% of supported infrastructure and 8% supported capitalization and long-term financial resilience.
- Only 9% of grants included any asset-building support, such as reserves, endowments, or other investments that strengthen long-term organizational stability.
- Women of color-led organizations were significantly less likely to receive infrastructure and capitalization funding, even when they received operational support.
The report introduces a new framework for understanding leadership sustainability through three interconnected pillars: Funding the Work, Funding the Ecosystem, and Funding the Future. Sustainable leadership requires investment across all three.
At a time when many institutions are reevaluating their equity commitments, Beyond the Glass Cliff challenges philanthropy to move beyond symbolic support and invest in the material conditions that allow women of color leaders—and the organizations they lead—to endure.
Download the full report to explore the findings, framework, and actionable recommendations for funders committed to building a more equitable and sustainable nonprofit sector.
