The number of staff and people in leadership positions at U.S. foundations who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) continues to increase, an annual survey conducted by the Council on Foundations finds.

According to the 2022 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report, which includes salary data on more than 10,000 full-time staff from over 1,000 grantmaking organizations, racial diversity continues to increase, with people of color accounting for 31 percent of reported full-time staff (up from 29 percent in 2021 and 27 percent in 2020). Among responding organizations, people of color now make up 14 percent of foundation CEOs (up from 12 percent in 2021). While age and gender ratios remained unchanged, for the second consecutive year the report has included “nonbinary” in its collection of gender data. With 44 people self-identifying as nonbinary among 9,935 staff identified in the survey, the number is small, but a significant measure of inclusion in terms of culture and representation. In addition, the survey found that non-salary benefits such as health-related flexible spending accounts, professional membership dues, and professional development opportunities continue to increase—31 percent of respondents have such benefits (up from 28 percent in 2021 and 25 percent in 2020).

“Though progress still remains too slow, seeing increases in the diversity of philanthropic leadership and staff for the third year in a row gives me hope,” said Council on Foundations president and CEO Kathleen Enright. “Given the continued stresses of COVID and our nation’s financial turbulence, I am glad to see foundations prioritizing additional ways to care for and support their staff.”

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