At the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, we believe leadership must be representative, accountable, and equity-driven. That’s why we’re proud to help share the 2025 Race to Lead survey! An essential tool in the fight for a more inclusive nonprofit sector. 

Created by the Building Movement Project (BMP), the Race to Lead series began in 2016 to explore how race and identity affect who leads, who stays, and how leadership is experienced across nonprofit workplaces. In the years since, thousands of nonprofit staff have shared their stories, contributing to one of the largest and most widely cited datasets on race and leadership in the sector. 

With nearly a decade of data behind it, Race to Lead 2025 is our opportunity to track change (or lack thereof), spotlight persistent inequities, and explore how today’s political, cultural, and economic climate is impacting nonprofit workplaces.  

Since the last survey in 2022, the sector has faced: 

  • Heightened backlash to racial equity initiatives 
  • Persistent burnout and staffing instability 
  • Increased pressure on BIPOC leaders and identity-based organizations 
  • Evolving expectations around workplace culture and leadership accountability 

This year’s survey continues to track key trends that shaped Race to Lead’s foundational reports, such as the racial leadership gap, the myth of the pipeline problem, and structural barriers to advancement.

Your Voice Matters!

We’re inviting all Certified Nonprofit Professionals (CNP), Advanced CNPs (ACNP), alumni, partners, and nonprofit professionals to join us in completing this survey. 

You’re helping build a national portrait of where we are, what’s working, and what still needs to change. The results will inform public reports, resources, and conversations that empower change at every level. 

The survey is confidential, takes 20-25 minutes, and is open to anyone working for pay in the U.S. nonprofit sector.  

 

We can't fix what we don't understand. Take the Race to Lead Survey!

 

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