Why Women Are the Future of Nonprofit Leadership

What happens when women don’t just participate in nonprofit work—but lead it?

In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, host Tosha Anderson sits down with Shilpa Alva, Founder of Surge for Water, to answer that question and more. Together, they unpack why women make up 75% of the nonprofit workforce—but only hold 22% of executive leadership roles.

Spoiler: It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s a power problem.

Redefining Leadership Through a Feminine Lens

Shilpa’s journey from the corporate world to nonprofit leadership reveals just how deeply rooted gendered expectations are—both in business and in mission-driven work. But at Surge, she’s flipping the script. Women are at the center of everything they do—from boardrooms to field programs across Uganda, Indonesia, and beyond.

As Shilpa shares, leadership isn’t just about the loudest voice in the room. It’s about empathy. It’s about listening. And it’s about leading from a place of understanding—not just oversight.

The Real Barriers: Access, Bias, and Burnout

They dig into the two biggest hurdles holding women back:

Funding Disparities – Women-led and women-of-color-led nonprofits receive a sliver of total philanthropic dollars. And many of the biggest grants? Invite-only.
Caregiving & Emotional Labor – As Tosha shares from her own journey, women are often forced to choose between career ambition and family obligations—especially in mid-career stages when leadership opportunities arise.

Shilpa Alva, Surge for Water

What Needs to Change

If we want more women in leadership, we need to do more than just “empower” them—we need to support them. That means funding women-led orgs, building inclusive boards, offering flexibility, and giving grace. Because as Tosha says, “We shouldn’t have to choose between our careers and our families.”

A New Model for Leading

Shilpa calls on women to lead with authenticity, even when it feels countercultural. You can bring your whole self—compassion, logic, intuition—and still run a financially strong, strategically smart organization. And when women see themselves represented at the highest levels? They rise.

Just ask the girls in Uganda who want to grow up to be just like Florence, one of Surge’s local program leaders.

Because when you see it—you believe you can be it.