Shareen Patel, policy officer at ACEVO, said:
“The latest Elitist Britain research raises important questions about access to leadership roles in our sector. Every year, ACEVO publishes its Pay and Equalities Report, which amongst other factors, looks at the socioeconomic background of charity leaders. The 2024 report paints a somewhat different picture to this research.
Three in four charity CEOs who responded to the survey were educated in state-run or state-funded schools, though the proportion declines amongst leaders of larger organisations. This suggests that whilst the sector overall remains more representative than many others, barriers to leadership clearly remain. If we want our sector to reflect the communities it aims to serve, we must continue to tackle the structural inequalities that shape access to opportunity, plus ensure leadership is determined by talent and not by one’s privilege or background.”