The nonprofit sector is closing the gender pay gap—except in the organizations with the most revenue

Candid’s 2026 Nonprofit Compensation Report finds women CEOs are closing the pay gap at small and midsize nonprofits, while the largest organizations are moving in the wrong direction 

New York, NY—August 13, 2026. Today, Candid released its 2026 Nonprofit Compensation Report, the most comprehensive study of executive compensation in the U.S. nonprofit sector. Now in its 26th edition, the report analyzes compensation data for over 200,000 positions at nearly 120,000 tax-exempt organizations using 2024 IRS Form 990 and 990-EZ filings. This year’s data tells two very different stories about gender pay equity—one of real progress, and one of a troubling reversal at the top. 

“Candid exists to bring transparency and data to the social sector so it can do better. This report is a prime example of why that work matters,” said Dr. John Brothers, interim president and CEO of Candid. “In the coming months, we will be expanding this research, so it continues to spark the honest conversations the sector needs to make real, sustained change.” 

Key findings from the 2026 Nonprofit Compensation Report include: 

• Progress at small and midsize organizations. Women CEOs at nonprofits with budgets under $1 million now earn 93 to 96 cents per dollar—up from 85 to 92 cents in 2014. Representation has also grown at every budget level. 

• A widening gap at the largest organizations. Women CEOs at nonprofits with budgets over $50 million earned 75 cents per dollar in 2024, down from 77 cents in 2014. This was the only budget tier where the gap grew. 

• Representation remains uneven. Women lead nearly six in 10 smaller nonprofits but fewer than one in three of the largest organizations. 

• The overall gap has stalled. Across all budget sizes, women CEOs earned 73 cents per dollar in 2024. This is the same as in 2021 and 2023, and up only four cents from 2014. 

“The fact that the largest nonprofits have both the fewest women CEOs and the widest pay gaps raises important questions about which organizations are being resourced to grow into the sector’s enduring institutions—and which are expected to deliver transformative outcomes without the same long-term investment,” said Elizabeth Barajas-Román, president and CEO of Women’s Funding Network. 

Candid’s own demographic research points to a possible driver: board composition. Smaller nonprofits tend to have smaller, more gender-diverse boards. As organizations grow, so do their boards. But the share of women declines sharply. Women represent the majority of board members only at organizations with expenses below $1 million. Above that threshold, men hold the majority and the gap widens with size. 

This matters because boards set CEO pay. Young-joo Lee, Ph.D., the Eileen Lamb O’Gara Chair in Women’s Philanthropy at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, found that “[b]oard gender diversity not only increases the likelihood of women being appointed as CEOs, but it also drives fairer, more equitable executive pay. If we want to build a truly fair workplace, we have to start at the top by actively fighting hiring biases and prioritizing board diversification.” 

The pay gap at large organizations is not just a compensation issue. Women lead just 31% of nonprofits with budgets over $50 million—up from 20% in 2014, but still less than a third. Meanwhile, they lead 58% to 62% of organizations with budgets under $500,000. The largest institutions, with the most visibility and the deepest resources, remain the least likely to have women at the helm, and when they do those women earn less. 

“For generations, the nonprofit sector has asked women to lead the work of justice while refusing to pay them justly for doing it,” said Natanja Craig Oquendo, CEO of Boston Women’s Fund. “We invented a rule that said spending less on people proved we cared more about the mission—and then we called it accountability. It was never accountability. It was a myth.” 

The stakes extend far beyond these individual leaders. The nonprofit workforce is nearly 70% women. When the sector’s most prominent organizations fail to pay women equitably, it signals to the next generation of leaders whom leadership is for and what their work is worth. 

To learn more about Candid’s 2026 Nonprofit Compensation Report and download a sample, visit candid.org/nonprofit-compensation-report.  

For media inquiries, contact media@candid.org. 

About Candid
Candid connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to do it. Through data, research, insights, and training, Candid supports nonprofits, foundations, researchers, policymakers, and the public in building a more effective and transparent social sector.  Find out more at candid.org and on LinkedIn.