The work continues on 74%, a research project—if not a movement—based on the fact that 74% of the nonprofit workforce in Pittsburgh is made up of women, and 74% is the percentage of pay they get in comparison to men.
In two words: Not cool.
Yesterday, members of the 74% Kitchen Cabinet—150 strong—assembled by the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management (BCNM) met to hear stories of triumph in the workforce as well as obstacles overcome. They were there to discuss findings on recent research, including numerous and extensive interviews with women of all ages on work matters. Not only what and why they are, said Peggy Outon, who heads BCNM, but "more important, how we can change them."
In the past 20 years, the number of nonprofits in the region has tripled and women in the field have doubled, she pointed out, and they want to explore the connection between the two. Of the many research statistics in the nonprofit world that she revealed, there was this alarming stat: a woman has to earn a doctorate to out earn a man with a bachelor's degree (U.S. News and World Report, College Payoff Report)
At the cabinet meeting, Sylvia Fields of the Eden Hall Foundation spoke and a panel of three community leaders—Lauri Fink of the Hillman Foundation, Dara Ware Allen of Youthworks and Erin Molchany of PUMP—told their own personal career stories of change and challenges, such as age discrimination. (While campaigning door to door during her city council bid, Molchany said she was greeted with, "How old are you, anyway?") Allen argued that we need to give younger people more opportunities and encourage them along the way. All three women emphasized the importance of mentoring and how key people helped them gain confidence and chart a course, especially early in their careers.
"We can't afford not to tap the potential of youth here in Pittsburgh," said Outen. "I was dismayed to hear so many young women feel that they are discounted and dismissed because they are young." It was, she said, a direct contradiction to Pittsburgh's recent positioning of itself as a place mindful of talent retention. And it must change.
To learn more about the 74%, the approximately 225,000 women working in nonprofit organizations in Allegheny and surrounding counties, click
here. More interviews and stories will soon be available along with more research results.
Writer: Tracy Certo (a member of the 74% Kitchen Cabinet)
Source: Peggy Outen and others at the meeting