Nonprofits Should Keep Tracking Workforce Data, Even If EEO-1 Race and Sex Reporting Ends

According to Nonprofit Quarterly, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proposed rolling back requirements that employers track and report workforce data by job category, sex, and race or ethnicity. But experts argue nonprofits should keep collecting this data anyway. Laurie Henneborn, Vice President of Research at Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on women's advancement, says workforce measurement isn't just about legal compliance—it's about accountability and trust. 'Nonprofits are built on trust,' she says. 'They ask employees and communities to believe in a mission that often centers fairness and opportunity. That credibility depends on what an organization can see and improve internally.' Here's why the rollback doesn't solve the problem: according to employment attorney Jared Pope, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act will still prohibit discrimination regardless of whether the reporting requirement exists. 'Losing a filing requirement does not erase the underlying law,' Pope says. Henneborn recommends nonprofits audit their systems for bias, redesign hiring and promotion processes around clear criteria rather than gut feel, and measure whether those changes actually improve outcomes for women and underrepresented employees.

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