Women in Leadership

Women have been underrepresented for too many years.

While the factors that keep the numbers of women leaders disproportionate are varied and complicated, it’s time to make room at the table. In Omaha, men hold more than 80 percent of board positions. Representation matters.

The Women’s Fund works to level the playing field for women and girls

We fund research on leadership to identify opportunities in our community.
We raise awareness about the importance of women‘s voices in business and elected office.

Supporting Elected Parents and Caregivers

LB 935 would allow campaign funds to be used for child care expenses when an officeholder is acting in their official capacity. LB 936 would allow campaign funds to cover travel costs associated with an officeholder’s official duties for family members. Given the high costs associated with holding public office, these bills promote more equitable access to the positions where public policy is being made. Representation matters and we support these efforts to promote equitable representation in our elected bodies.

Circles: A Leadership Initiative

Women do not have the same networking opportunities as men. The Women’s Fund is working to change that. Through Circles, a diverse network of women leaders who support the mission of the Women’s Fund, we are cultivating authentic relationships and leveraging a community of women that support and empower each other.

This includes leadership opportunities, relationship building that goes beyond the three-year term and deeper engagement in issues facing women and girls in our community.

Interested in getting more involved? Learn more!

Women in Leadership

Representation matters. In Omaha, men make up more than 80 percent of board positions, according to our 2016 Women in Leadership Report.

Through 80 interviews with a variety of community leaders, we tapped into the influential minds in Omaha’s corporate, nonprofit, academic, governmental and medical sectors. We spoke to business owners, CEOs, senior administrators, organizational leaders, executive directors, COOs and many more.

The leaders we interviewed were as diverse in their backgrounds as they were in their current roles, but each shared a deep understanding of Omaha, its organizations and the kinds of leaders it produces. And what they said was:

  • A small group of leaders is responsible for an extraordinary number of social, civic and charitable initiatives.
  • Omaha’s largely male leadership networks are unwelcoming to women. Women do not have equal access to the relationship networks central to our community, so a woman’s pace in seeking leadership roles is frequently delayed.
  • Women from racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups face compounded barriers to leadership. Many organizations lack appropriate knowledge of disparities between women of color and white women.

To request a presentation, email info@OmahaWomensFund.org.

This booklet is available as a free download for your personal use and reference.  By design, it is best experienced in conjunction with a training and a specific collaborative structure. For more information, please contact Lisa Schulze, Education and Training Manager for the Women’s Fund, at LSchulze@OmahaWomensFund.org

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