Women's Career Pathways to Nonprofit Leadership Position

Abstract

This study examines women's leadership career pathways in nonprofit sport organizations. Drawing on a narrative approach and reflexive thematic analysis of 22 semi-structured interviews with Finnish women leaders, we identify four career types—Progressive Growth Career, Mission Enthusiast, Externally Catalyzed Career, and Chance-Driven Growth Career—and define their key patterns and distinctive features. The study extends the literature by offering a gender-sensitive analysis of women's leadership careers in nonprofit organizations. In contrast to earlier research, our findings show that women follow diverse career pathways and exercise agency across them. In doing so, the study refines nonprofit leadership typologies, highlights dual routes to legitimacy, and offers practical insights for recruitment, nomination, and development practices aimed at expanding women's leadership in sports nonprofits.