Workplace Experiences & Conditions

Workplace belonging varies by both race and organizational role, with the largest disparities among staff-level respondents.

Overall belonging remains relatively high (3.8), but this average masks meaningful differences in how employees experience their workplaces. Across racial groups, executive leaders report the highest levels of belonging, while staff-level respondents – particularly several BIPOC groups – report lower belonging scores. These patterns suggest that belonging is shaped not only by individual workplace experiences, but also by organizational position and proximity to decision-making.

Across every racial group, belonging increases with organizational seniority, with executive leaders reporting the strongest sense of belonging. At the same time, the largest racial disparities emerge among staff-level respondents, where several BIPOC groups report belonging scores below the overall average. These findings suggest that workplace belonging is experienced differently depending on both race and organizational position, with employees who have less formal authority and greater distance from decision-making reporting lower feelings of belonging.

These differences also appear in how respondents view their future with their organizations. When asked whether they would be happy working at their organization three years from now, White respondents express stronger agreement than BIPOC respondents. BIPOC respondents report higher levels of disagreement and lower levels of strong agreement. Notably, nearly twice as many BIPOC respondents strongly disagreed with the statement compared with White respondents (14.5% vs. 7.6%).

Taken together, these patterns suggest that belonging is not only an individual experience but also reflects how power, proximity to decision-making, and organizational position are distributed. Building more equitable workplaces requires attention to the conditions that shape whether employees – particularly those in staff roles and BIPOC employees – experience their organizations as places where they can belong, grow, and remain.

Although demanding workloads are widespread, the largest racial disparities in workplace strain center on pay, advancement, recognition, and identity-related burdens.

Across Race to Lead survey waves, BIPOC respondents consistently report lower average workplace belonging and higher average workplace strain than their white peers, reinforcing the connection between employees’ sense of inclusion and the pressures they experience at work.

Demanding workload is the most common source of strain for respondents across racial groups. The largest differences, however, emerge in how work is structured and rewarded. Compared with white respondents, BIPOC respondents are more likely to report inadequate pay, limited opportunities for advancement, increased responsibilities without corresponding title or pay increases, and unequal compensation for comparable work.

BIPOC respondents are also more likely to report identity-related pressures, including the stress of representing their communities and being called upon to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. These experiences suggest that workplace strain is not only about how much work employees carry, but also whether their contributions are recognized, compensated, and supported equitably.

Taken together, these findings suggest that reducing workplace strain requires more than addressing workload alone. Organizations must examine compensation, advancement practices, role expectations, and the additional identity-related labor placed on BIPOC employees.

Access to more workplace benefits does not always mean those benefits meet employees’ needs.

Respondents who report access to more benefits generally rate those benefits as more adequate, but employees with similar levels of access do not always evaluate them equally. For example, BIPOC and White executives report access to comparable numbers of benefits, yet White executives rate those benefits as more adequate. These differences suggest that the value of workplace supports depends not only on how many benefits organizations provide, but also on whether those benefits are perceived as relevant, accessible, and responsive to employees' needs.

The types of benefits organizations provide also reveal important gaps. Traditional employment benefits – including paid time off (90.6%), health insurance (84.9%), retirement contributions (75.3%), and flexible or remote work arrangements (74.8%) – are widely available. In contrast, benefits that support caregiving and employee well-being remain far less common. Fewer than one in five respondents report access to employer-sponsored mental health support (18.2%), and only 6.8% report access to child care assistance.

Access to workplace benefits also varies substantially by organizational resources. Respondents working in very large and large nonprofits report access to an average of about 6.5 workplace benefits, compared with 5.7 benefits in mid-sized organizations and just 3.7 benefits in small nonprofits. These patterns suggest that organizational size – and the resources that often accompany it – plays an important role in shaping employees' access to workplace supports.

Finally, workplace flexibility continues to evolve. Compared with 2022, respondents in 2025 are less likely to work primarily remotely and more likely to report hybrid work arrangements, reflecting an ongoing shift in how nonprofit organizations structure work after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taken together, these findings suggest that creating supportive workplaces requires more than expanding benefit offerings. Organizations must also consider whether the supports they provide are accessible, responsive to employees' needs, and equitable across different organizational contexts.