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RESOURCE

Funding Through Change

Learning from Leadership Shifts in the Gender Equity Field, with Recommendations for Funders

This report was prepared by NNR Evaluation, Planning and Research on behalf of our Gender and Reproductive Equity Grantmaking team in Fall 2024. Learn more about our commitment to gender and reproductive equity.

Executive leaders shape every aspect of their organizations: from strategy to relationships, processes and pace. 

So, when a new leader takes the helm, the changes can ripple throughout the entire organization—and sometimes into the field. 

Consistent with the last several years, reproductive and gender equity organizations of all sizes are navigating executive leadership transitions amid broader struggles to defend women’s rights and achieve gender equity. These transitions are of interest to all funders who seek to support movements that champion a world in which women achieve power and freedom in every aspect of their lives.

To understand how funders can support grantees experiencing leadership transitions, we partnered with NNR Evaluation, Planning & Research LLC to interview executive leaders, staff and board members of organizations across our Gender and Reproductive Equity portfolio that are currently experiencing or recently experienced such transitions. Specifically, we noted the distinct experiences of women of color leaders—who are often the first for their organization or who step into leadership during complex organizational moments—as they transitioned into new roles.

The resulting resource outlines the challenges and opportunities these transitions present and offers clear, practical recommendations for how funders can provide steady support during times of change to stabilize organizations and movements. 
 

Cover of a report titled "Funding Through Change: Learning from Leadership Shifts in the Gender Equity Field," featuring a blue geometric design. The report is prepared for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies by NNR Evaluation, Planning & Research LLC in Fall 2024.

Quote from Lisa Eisen, Brook Kelly-Green and Jessica Williams-Szenes

Leadership transitions are a natural part of organizational life cycles. We hope that this report will help funders respond with trust, flexibility and long-term support—for leaders, for the organizations they guide and for gender and reproductive equity work as a whole.
"Funding Through Change" Opening Note

Topline Insights

Today’s leadership transitions are happening more often and require sufficient resourcing and support from funders. These topline insights share what leadership transitions mean for organizations, including for their staff and board, and how funders can partner with grantees to support them through these periods of evolution. 

1. Executive leadership transitions will become more frequent.

New leaders are bucking past traditions of staying in the same role for decades or until retirement. As a result, leadership transitions will occur more frequently, likely as often as every five to seven years. In this study, preserving work–life balance and staving off burnout were major contributors to this trend. 

2. Leadership transitions are multi-year projects that require continued investment.  

Leadership transitions do not end with a new executive hire. Instead, they should be viewed as multi-year projects. In this study, the cost of transitions ranged from $100,000 to $400,000, and several organizations reported they had to dip into their reserves and/or make budget cuts to cover the added costs of the transition. 

3. Thoughtful leadership transitions balance complex internal transformations with external work. 

As noted, leadership transitions often involve multiple, complex organization-wide changes such as organizational and staff restructuring and strategic planning processes. For the organizations in this study, these changes occurred with varying degrees of success and  resourcing, which had direct consequences for the organization’s existing work and relationships.  

4. Leadership transitions also signal organizational growth.

This report details the challenges organizations experience during leadership transitions, but another common theme in this study was the organizational growth that also occurred. New leaders often test new organizational structures, programs, and strategies that are necessary for transformational change to occur. Among national anchor gender equity organizations, the rise of women of color leading well-resourced organizations is a celebrated leadership change in the field. 

Recommendations for Funders

Leadership transitions can complicate traditional notions of organizational sustainability, stability, accountability and the ability to win progressive change. At the same time, leadership transitions can be viewed as a positive sign that gender equity organizations are growing and responding to the needs of today’s political climate. In this context, funders must discern the best avenues for providing ongoing support. Here are three recommendations to consider.

Leadership transitions are a natural part of organizational growth. Funders can strengthen this process by honoring existing commitments, staying engaged and building early relationships with new leaders. Ongoing communication, informal guidance and introductions to other funders help set leaders up for success and ensure continuity during a critical time.

Leadership transitions are most successful when organizations have the resources they need. Direct funding for coaching, consultants, and succession planning helps both incoming and outgoing leaders navigate their transition with confidence and support. This support demonstrates funders’ trust and their commitment to the organization’s future and their role in the broader movement. 

Strong leadership thrives in healthy, supportive, accountable environments. Funders can promote long-term stability by investing in leadership development, peer support spaces, and organizational healing efforts. Support for training, conflict resolution, and new roles for outgoing leaders builds healthier workplaces and helps facilitate thoughtful, intentional organizational changes.  

Explore more funder recommendations

Learn more about recent trends in leadership transitions and their implications for funder support.

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Our Gender and Reproductive Equity Portfolio

We support efforts to increase comprehensive sex education, birth equity and access to abortion, advance policies that build women’s economic power, support women’s safety and security, and build political power for women.

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4 Effective Ways to Invest in Women and Girls Now

Funders at all levels are critical to achieving gender and reproductive equity. Get started with our guide to the most pressing issues to support and the organizations making headway toward change.

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Organizations Leading the Path Forward

Our grantees include state and national organizations, advocacy and legislative initiatives, and funder collaboratives that draw together the voices of those most affected by gender and reproductive inequity.