March is Women’s History Month and women play a vital role in the nonprofit landscape. A 2009 White House Project study found that women make up 73 percent of nonprofit sector employees. This means that women make up more than half of the nonprofit sector! Nonprofit organizations would not function without women and their drive to change things for the better. 

“The seeds of success in every nation on Earth are best planted in women and children.” -Joyce Banda

However, top leadership positions are still predominantly held by men. So, what better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than by highlighting amazing women-led nonprofits and charitable campaigns. Be inspired by what they are doing and how you too can grow your own nonprofit! 

4 Nonprofits to Know! 

Help a Mother Out

Help a Mother Out (HAMO) is women-led organization whose goal is to improve baby and family well-being by increasing access to diapers for families in need. The founder, Lisa Truong is a social entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.

Help a Mother Out has provided over 45 million diapers to babies and families in need. Their mission of supporting families in need couldn’t be better exemplified than their response to the war in Ukraine. Their peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, Diapers Urgently Needed for Ukrainian Refugees!, was dedicated to raising funds to get diapers to Ukrainian refugees. Supporters were encouraged to either donate or create their own fundraising page to participate.

Through their peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, HAMO was able to raise over $26,000 for Ukrainian mothers and families in crisis.

Women Who Code

This organization was founded in 2014 by Alaina Percival and Zassmin Montes de Oca. Their nonprofit focuses on the importance of women excelling in technology careers. Women Who Code provides resources, trainings, and mentorship for women in the tech space. Philanthropy News Digest states, “As of 2022, the organization has held more than 14,000 free events worldwide and built a membership of over 290,000 people representing over 134 countries.” 

Through campaign fundraising and donor support, Women Who Code has raised over $150,000 for scholarships and education for its members around the world.

With women holding only 28% of all jobs in computer and mathematical occupations, the work they do is powerful and needed and donor participation makes all the difference. 

Zami Nobla

Zami Nobla focuses on promoting positive aging through a social justice framework. They work to build sustainable support systems for aging black lesbians. Led by a powerful and experienced leadership team, their vision is for a just and equitable world where every elder receives respect and dignity.

Zami Nobla is a membership-driven organization. Their membership program gives them the ability to provide community programs, resources, and community support such as the Black Lesbian Breast Cancer Support Group and Ukulele Program.

These programs are essential to the work Zami Nobla does. Their monthly membership options empower and encourage donors to directly support Zami Nobla’s amazing work.

Black Mamas Matter Alliance

The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is a women-led alliance. Their work centers on Black mamas and birthing people to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. 

American Psychological Association states, “Black women suffer the greatest impact, as they are 3 times more likely to die during and after childbirth than White people.” In light of this, the work these women are doing is vital to the health of women and babies.

Held annually, their Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) campaign was founded to promote awareness, activism, and community-building for the lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. Their mission and continued efforts help improve the disparities within Black maternal health.

2 Events to Check Out! 

Events can be an impactful way to build a community around your mission. For instance, it can increase monthly donors and empower your donors to feel more like a partner in the work. When your donors have a personal connection to your mission and what you are doing it has long-term benefits on donor retention rates.

Women Build

West Orange Habitat for Humanity’s event, Women Build, focuses on empowering women to make a difference. This annual event encourages women to participate in giving back to their community. Women gather in teams, raise money, and then put their hands into action by building together. It is powerful to see women supporting women. Not to mention, their slogan is quite fun and fitting, She put the she in shelter!

Rock Roulette

Girls Rock NC is a youth-centered organization dedicated to building community and power among girls, transgender youth, and gender-expansive youth through musical collaboration, political education for social change, and creative expression.

Every year Girls Rock NC holds an annual fundraising campaign, Rock Roulette. This campaign is a rock camp experience for adults to participate in, all while raising money for Girls Rock NC! Each registrant is placed into a band based on musical interests, locations, and other factors. These bands then have 6 weeks to get together and write original music which is then performed at their annual Rock Roulette showcase.

The funds raised in this annual campaign directly provide Girls Rock NC the ability to increase the number of programs and services they are able to offer youth in their community. Through donor support, they are able to serve more than 350 girls, women, trans, and gender non-conforming folks each year.

“If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” —Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of the U.K.

Although women make up a large portion of the nonprofit workforce, there is still a significant gender gap in leadership roles. While that may be true, all of the organizations listed above benefit from being predominately led by women. If your nonprofit is predominately staffed by women, we encourage you to look at the makeup of your leadership team. How does your organization’s leadership reflect who you serve? Nonprofit organizations can improve their long-term success by achieving gender equality in their leadership roles.

Women are powerful, creative, and inspiring! Undeniably, women are actively making changes in their communities and the world. For this reason, the team at Mightycause gives a big cheer to you and your nonprofits, to women making a difference!

Happy Women’s History Month!