Executive Search Ranking

The WOC Community has spoken—discover the top search firms for women of color.

Career Center • Our Approach • Top Large Firms • Top Boutique Firms • Full Reports • Suggested Reading

Overview

We are dedicated to helping women of color gain equal access to job opportunities and recruitment processes. With this in mind, we turned to WOC members to learn about your experiences with search firms seeking applicants for jobs in the nonprofit or mission-driven sector.

As part of our larger initiative to foster equity in the executive search process, we compiled a list of 15 search firms, ten national and five boutique, that work for women of color.

Our Approach

For the third consecutive year, the Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC) administered a survey to its members and executive search firms with a specialty in and strong emphasis on placements within the nonprofit or social sector. We have identified 15 firms that are exceptional in both their approach and results when working with women of color. The study has continued to gain interest and application from search firms across the country, making the process increasingly more competitive.

WOC consulted Shinyoung Park, a doctoral candidate at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for the independent compilation of the ranked list of the Top Executive Search Firms that Work for Women of Color.

Based on a variety of factors, including size, geographic scope, and number of placements, our list comprises ten larger firms and five smaller firms that are leading exceptional work in this space.

Top Large Firms

Notes

* First-time inclusion

1. ThinkingAhead Executive Search

ThinkingAhead Executive Search recruits candidates for a variety of global clients of varying stages. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the firm conducts executive searches in multiple industries, including the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit organization clients include those with operating budgets of $10 million or more and typically work in the arts, environment, human services (including youth development), or religion.

2. Campbell & Company

Campbell & Company is a national nonprofit consulting firm that provides executive search and strategic information services, in addition to development. Its clients are all nonprofit organizations, and search clients typically have total operating budgets of $3 million or more. The firm, based in Chicago with offices nationwide, has conducted searches for organizations in the arts, environment, higher education, and human services (including youth development).

3. Isaacson Miller

Isaacson Miller is a national firm that focuses on the recruitment of leaders for mission-driven organizations. In 2021, seventy-six percent of their placements identified as women or were people of color. A typical client has an operating budget of $10 million or more.

4. Scion Staffing, Inc.*

Scion Staffing is an award-winning national executive search firm and temporary staffing agency. Our East Coast Regional HQ is located in the heart of New York in the Financial District of Manhattan.

5. Diversified Search Group

Diversified Search Group is a global executive search and consulting firm leveraging diverse expertise to solve a variety of executive recruiting and people needs.

6. kpCompanies*

kpCompanies has partnered with hundreds of organizations providing deep hiring insights, inclusive sourcing of exceptional talent across various sectors and job functions, while executing on recruitment process excellence. Our expertise ensures your access to unparalleled candidates, driving success and innovation in your workforce.

7. Axis Talent Partners*

Axis Talent Partners is a boutique executive search and people strategy firm, led by women and founded by women of color. Our mission is to support social impact organizations in finding the right leaders increasing the diversity of the leadership of the sector and facilitating access to positions of authority for people of color and historically marginalized identities. We partner with mission-driven organizations of all sizes, stages and issue areas, and offer search and hiring solutions that are grounded in relationship-building and centered in inclusivity and racial equity.

8. Lindauer

Lindauer Global is an executive search firm that serves nonprofits across the United States and on four continents. It offers a range of search, leadership, and talent management services. Its clients are largely arts, K-12 education, health care, higher education, and philanthropy/ fundraising organizations that typically have total operating budgets of $10 million or more.

9. The Batten Group*

The Batten Group is a national executive search and consulting firm passionate about your organization’s mission. We bring decades of perspective to serving nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. We are recognized as experts in both talent and organizational dynamics. Our understanding of the critical relationship between the two is paramount to our effectiveness.

10. GoodCitizen

GoodCitizen supports social sector organizations by providing them executive search and leadership advisory services. A typical client is an organization in the foundation, nonprofits, and social enterprise, youth development, and climate sectors. GoodCitizen is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and has served more than 125 clients across 40 geographies.

Top Boutique Firms

* First-time inclusion

This list features boutique firms leading exceptional work in recruitment within a regional scope.

1. Uproot Talent

Uproot Talent is a Latina-owned social impact search and talent advisory firm that provides a suite of related services, including organizational development. Founded in 2022, it has roots in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and presence across the USA. The firm has clients in the sectors of arts and culture, K-12 educational organizations, philanthropy, including community foundations and others, and youth development groups.

2. Carlson Beck LLC

Carlson Beck is a retained executive search firm in the philanthropy and nonprofit sectors. The firm was founded in 2010 as a spin out from its predecessor firm. A typical client works in education, youth development, government, housing, community development, arts and culture, or healthcare.

3. Talent Citizen*

Talent Citizen is a woman-owned, executive search firm that taps into the nation’s best thinkers in civil, corporate, and nonprofit sectors in their pursuit of positive social impact.

4. Pearl Street Collective

Pearl Street Collective is a woman-owned executive search and talent strategy firm. It works with national clients in the social justice and higher education domains with operating budgets that range from under $1 million to over $1 billion. The firm is headquartered in Boston and has offices in San Diego.

5. Maneva Group*

Maneva Group is a national woman and minority-owned nonprofit executive recruiting firm that hires top 1% of executives for your team. We focus solely on nonprofits and mission-driven organizations just like yours, and are passionate about helping scale your impact through leadership.