Civil and children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman said, “You can’t be what you don’t see.” 

Of course, like anything, this is not 100% true. Someone must go first and in so doing, they allow others to see themselves in similar roles.

Marina Glogovac is one of these people. At a time when the lack of women in executive leadership roles continues to be a serious problem, Glogovac models the way as a highly effective, principled, ethical leader. As Glogovac transitions out of the social impact sector to lead the Toronto Star as their new CEO, we checked in to ask what she’s proud of, what surprised her about this sector, and what advice she wants to give women and emerging leaders who work in the social profit space.  

You refer to yourself as a “technology leader” and see your accomplishments at CanadaHelps as "enabling impact for all charities in the digital age through access to fundraising technology.” As you leave the social impact sector, what do you see as the ongoing challenges and opportunities as they relate to technology.

MG: I have talked about the ongoing challenges and opportunities related to digital transformation in the charitable sector many times. CanadaHelps has researched them in the Digital Skills Report, and we hear about them through our daily interactions with hundreds of charities. Digital transformation is the most pressing issue for the sector for the next decade—it is what is going to sustain charities, help them raise more, help them work better, and help them better report on their impact. 

Many more charities recognize the urgency of this after Covid, but there has to be an investment in people, processes, tech, and growth mindsets, supported by boards and funders. 

I think there is also a role for corporations to help the transition by providing highly skilled volunteers to augment charity capacity since charities will have a hard time affording the talent they need, given it is in demand by all sectors and will be expensive for the foreseeable future. 

 In 2020, you said that moving into the social impact sector has been the most challenging, creative, and satisfying part of your career. Do you still feel this way and can you expand on why?

MG: I am so proud of my time leading CanadaHelps and being part of the charitable sector.  

Yes, it was challenging—having spent the previous 20 or so years in for-profit, stepping into the charitable sector was a huge shift in culture and needing to adapt to the limited resources. There was a lot at stake when I joined CanadaHelps in 2013. We needed to figure out how to develop software tools and services for charities and donors in a bootstrapped manner, while remaining independent for the sake of our clients. That called for an enormous level of creativity, discipline, strategy and collaboration within the team. From that point of view, what we have achieved is tremendously satisfying and I can say it is the biggest achievement in my career. 

It was also satisfying because of the impact. By being a critical piece of infrastructure for charities, and a partner to our charity clients, we know that our work enables the work of the entire sector.  When I speak to a charity, or get feedback from a charity using our services, it is so gratifying to hear our role in their success. This has been the most meaningful application of my skills and those of my team.  

When you started at CanadaHelps, what most surprised you about the sector? 

 MG: Though I knew many charities, I was totally surprised and amazed by the breadth and scope of the sector and how much they do—from planting trees to saving animals, researching rare diseases and offering health services, addressing homelessness and food poverty. I may have intellectually known this, but it is different when you get up close and understand there is a whole world of people dedicated to helping society.

The other thing that surprised me is the way Canadians give. Canadians are incredibly generous, but there is still a big difference between the gifts made to smaller and bigger charities. So many charities operate in suboptimal ways because they don’t have the resources to invest in themselves (and donors and funders often don’t think it is a good use of money). This has resulted in a starvation cycle with inadequate capacity for a sector that does so much. Witnessing how strained the resources are, and the incredible desire to put every dollar into programs to help, means charities are not as prepared as they need to be to adapt to the digital era. We need to accept and support investment into charities’ organizational and operational capacity so they can do more and do it well. 

You’ve talked about some of the things you are proud of in terms of the accomplishments at CanadaHelps as they relate to innovation and exponential growth. How has working in this sector changed you?

MG: Working in the sector has made me a better person—less judgmental, more embracing, more tolerant, and with greater humility. When you meet so many people who chose a life focused on helping others it rubs off on you. 

It’s also made me more inclusive. I realize how interconnected we all are in this world and how we have a duty to each other—it’s just a stroke of luck to not be the person in the line at the food bank. 

After two very long years, I know so many in the sector are burnt out and we need to figure out how to support them just as much as the clients they serve.

What advice would you give to someone from the corporate sector moving into the social impact sector today?

MG: There is a different frame of reference when you work for a charity, and you will need to orient yourself first. It will take some time. The biggest mistake for-profit executives make is to come in as "know-it-alls" because, somehow, their experience is superior or gives them an unquestionable advantage. This is misguided. The charitable space is far more nuanced, ambiguous and complex, a space where paths for effective action are often not easy to figure out and the stakes are high. Your skill set will be rendered useless if you don't learn how to adapt it to a new context.

You really have tons to learn, so a humble attitude, curiosity, and an open mind are musts. You will need to do lots of listening, and sometimes it will feel as if you are going backward. You will feel lost. If you are someone who cannot ask others for help, the transition will be more challenging.

The enormous importance of charities to our communities and the world as a whole cannot be overstated. Charities are increasingly seen as filling the gaps not addressed by government and business, but also as critical partners and leaders in effectively solving our most pressing problems.

Like most sectors, the percentage of leadership that is male versus female continues to be an issue. Worse still for racialized women and women with disabilities. It is particularly jarring in our sector given that 80% of the workforce is female. I know many women in the sector, myself included, admire your approach to leadership. What advice do you have for women to ensure they can move into leadership roles?

MG: Across all sectors, women are more represented and are filling more leadership positions but progress is slow, especially when we look at the most senior leadership, and representation on corporate boards. 

The fact that the charitable sector is dominated by women absolutely impacts the value people place on it and what they feel sector workers should earn – similar to other female-dominated sectors like education and nursing. At the same time, women are also hit first by disruption, (like with COVID) where women left the workforce in droves because the childcare burden still largely falls to them. We’re dealing with systemic issues and barriers that keep women out or set them up to fail.

 While we can't expect individuals to solve all the systemic issues, the collective voices of women in the sector can challenge the narratives around the value of their work and their place at the leadership tables.

 For young people just starting their careers in the social impact space, what advice would you give them?

MG: I want to tell young people that they have made a great choice. This is an important sector. We know from research that young people care about the world, and this is the best place to help make change—there are so many causes and opportunities. The social impact space is changing, and we need new voices and creativity to figure out the future.

You will be missed! What message would you like to leave with the thousands of people who work and volunteer in this sector who are grateful to you for the leadership and service you’ve provided to the sector over these last nine years?

MG: You are all some of the most inspiring and dedicated people I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with. It has been an incredible privilege to have been part of this. People in this sector do things without fanfare—they do the work and have shown me what real leadership is about. It’s about serving others.

I hope the sector will successfully transition to the digital future and will use the tools and opportunities available to grow its impact to ensure they are here for Canadians and the world for a long time to come. I hope Canadians will continue to be generous because the sector is helping us create a more equal and compassionate future.

Author's Note: Marina’s professional accomplishments at CanadaHelps are well-documented. Many of us have other, more personal stories to tell. As a new author, when I reached out to Marina to be part of the Advisory Committee for my book, she did not hesitate. Despite an incredibly hectic schedule and all the challenges both personal and professional that a global pandemic brought, Marina still found time to help. Marina’s thoughtful, principled, ethical and compassionate leadership will be missed by many in the social profit sector, including me. Our sector’s loss is the Toronto Star’s gain. 

Maryann Kerr, is Chief Happiness Officer, and CEO with the Medalist Group and an Associate Consultant with Global Philanthropic Canada. Maryann has worked in the social profit sector for 34 years and helped raise over $110M for small to mid-sized organizations. She is passionate about her family, feminism, and continuous learning and is seeking a sponsor to fund her Ph.D.  To learn more about her work please visit Tarnished for blogs, podcasts and tv appearances.