When I picked up Green 2.0’s 2024 Transparency Report, the news wasn’t good. And you know what? I ain’t surprised! Not one bit.

“Alarmingly, this year reports the first decline in staff of color at all levels of NGOs in the history of this report,” it reveals. “…The glaring trend at NGOs reminds us that progress requires intentional and consistent effort to… retain staff of color.”

Retaining talented staff requires intentional and consistent work. I know this from personal experience. When I first started working for a large environmental nonprofit, I quickly realized there was NOBODY ELSE in the room who looked like me. And now, as a nonprofit executive recruiter, coach, and consultant working with the environmental sector, I constantly have people reaching out to me. Either they are trying to figure out how to navigate a job where they don’t feel supported, or they have left their jobs and are now trying to figure out what to do next.

We have to turn this trend around in 2025.

The communities most impacted by environmental issues are the least represented at environmental nonprofits and foundations.…. how does that make sense?

It simply doesn’t. We need to not only rethink the way candidates are hired but also how they            are treated, mentored, and nurtured once they join a team. Here’s one data point in this year’s report that made my stomach drop: “…this year shows the first decrease in full-time staff of color in the history of this report, as this number is down 9% from 2023.”

People leave for a simple reason: they’re not happy. They want to have a sense of belonging inside their organization’s culture, and to be given access to the same opportunities.So how can you make sure you are creating a culture and environment in which all staff feel respected and valued? 

• Look into the fairness of their full workload. Are you asking people of color to serve on every hiring panel because you need to check a box? This could mean they have extra work compared to their white counterparts. 
• Provide equitable opportunities for visible recognition. Help people you manage get “out there” to support their promotion pathways and help them move up the pay band scale. If this is extra work outside their normal day-to-day activities, reward them with a bonus. 
• Offer personal development, mentorship, training, and coaching (ideally from a coach with similar lived experiences). This level of support helps team members identify their unique strengths, needs, and professional growth plans to bolster career performance and impact.

Here’s another trend in the report we need to reverse: “While the percentage of POC heads of organizations increased 6% from 2021-2023, this year the percentage decreased by 4%.” 

I’ve coached dozens of leaders in the nonprofit sector. None of them wanted or expected special opportunities just because of their race or ethnicity (which they don’t receive). They simply wanted their qualifications to match an appropriate level of opportunities: 

• They wanted to be properly supported (and respected) by management and given the resources necessary to lead, like their counterparts.  
• They wanted supervisors to start the annual performance conversation around ways to maximize their skills to create greater impact in the organization, not where they’d potentially miss the mark.  
• They wanted to walk into a boardroom and feel welcomed, not asked “are you lost?” or “can you take notes?”  

Many organizations have an elephant in the room when it comes to supporting staff in a meaningful way: some leaders think more opportunities for emerging leaders means less opportunities for them. But that’s just not the case. Incorporating these strategies will help cultivate professional environments and cultures that foster greater employee retention, resulting in more dynamic teams and ultimately strengthening organizational cohesion and vitality.