The Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap in the Memphis Area: A Race to Lead Brief

The Building Movement Project has released The Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap in the Memphis Area: A Race to Lead Brief. This brief is part of a series of regional reports based on the survey responses collected from over 5,200 nonprofit staff in 2019. The Memphis area brief offers findings from the subset of 2019 survey respondents who work in the Memphis area and builds upon the findings of the main Race to Lead Revisited report. It also explores how issues of race and race equity impact the nonprofit sector in a city known for its civil rights and racial justice activism.

In particular, the Memphis area brief offers insights on:

• The leadership aspirations of current nonprofit employees and the racialized barriers to advancement;

• The current racial composition of nonprofits in the area and how those demographics impact the experiences of staff;

• The importance of funding and opportunities to ensure financial sustainability of organizations led by people of color; and

• The range of perspectives shared by local nonprofit staff on how to make change in nonprofit organizations and the sector.

To learn more, download the full report and check out our Race to Lead website: https://racetolead.org/memphis