For nearly a decade, Women in Global Health has sought to build female leadership across the global health sector. But this week, a man was appointed to chair the board of the 6,500-member network — and the organization tells us it’s commissioned an investigation into its governance over the past three years.
Also in today’s edition: DT Institute changes leadership amid investigation, and the latest on USAID’s “staffing crisis.”
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That’s how one woman described the situation to my colleague Sara Jerving after hearing a man had become the new board chair at Women in Global Health, an organization centered around elevating women to positions of influence in the sector.
“It really feels like a joke,” another woman told other members of the organization during an internal call.
The move comes after Dr. Roopa Dhatt, the former head of the organization, was abruptly terminated as its executive director last week. It was an exit that for many felt like the “heart and soul” was being ripped from the organization — one that has 52 chapters and over 6,500 members across the world.
Dhatt led Women in Global Health for nine years. But last Friday, the organization announced her departure with no explanation. Days later, Jeffrey Mecaskey stepped up to become board chair, sparking outrage from many of the Women in Global Health members during a Zoom call on Wednesday. Some called for Mecaskey’s removal, while some pushed for all of the board members to go. And one woman said the whole situation felt like a “bloody coup,” with others saying it echoed the patriarchy they’d experienced throughout their entire careers.
“All of us are here because of who [Dhatt] was — and no matter what may have happened, we deserve a better explanation. And we deserve better answers,” said one woman, speaking at Wednesday’s virtual meeting.
But the organization told Sara that Mecaskey is only joining on an interim basis and that they are actively recruiting new women board members and expect to appoint a new board chair “in due course.”
And in putting these leadership transitions into broader context, the organization said the board has commissioned an extensive investigation into the governance of the organization dating back to 2021, which includes areas like financial management, delivery, and accountability.
“I’m deeply saddened and bewildered by the actions of the board in recent weeks,” Dhatt writes to Sara. “As the founder of WGH, I believe deeply in its mission. I welcome the transparency of an independent external investigation, and I hope that the role and actions of the board are included in its remit. The work of WGH must continue - this movement is too important.”
Scoop: Women in Global Health launches investigation, man set to lead board
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Dhatt isn’t the only one packing up her desk this month. The CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit DT Institute has resigned in the midst of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the organization’s financial practices, as well as those of its for-profit affiliate, DT Global.
Pia Wanek, who joined the organization in June 2023, has now been replaced by two co-CEOs: Violet Tsagka, who was previously DT Institute’s vice president of business development and communications, and Kate Williams, who joined as a board director of DT Institute in July 2023.
The announcement came days after Devex revealed the U.S. Department of Justice had sent inquiries to both DT Global and DT Institute about their financial practices. The investigation appears to be focused on whether direct and indirect costs related to federal contracts and grants were appropriately allocated between the two organizations, my colleague Michael Igoe reported last week. It follows a lawsuit first filed in 2021 that alleged DT Global, the for-profit company, illegally misused its nonprofit affiliate, DT Institute, as a “vehicle for profit and marketing.” That lawsuit was ultimately withdrawn last year.
“We are fully confident that our operations and practices are highly professional and ethical, and that the Department of Justice will again come to a resolution with no adverse findings,” both organizations told Michael last week.
Read more: DT Institute CEO resigns amid Justice Department investigation
ICYMI: Justice Department investigating USAID contractor
Just across the river, USAID is shaking up its workforce, too — but instead of pushing people out, they’re trying to reel them in.
Hiring has been a goal of the multibillion-dollar agency for years, with USAID insiders telling my colleague David Ainsworth that the agency’s paltry overhead budget has limited its ability to recruit more staff. USAID’s localization efforts have put even more strain on its system, as working effectively with local partners requires more time, tools, and expertise to get right.
Still, the agency is trying — especially when it comes to hiring contract and award specialists. In the last four years, USAID has hired 65 new foreign service officers, David reports, along with 27 new civil service contract specialists. The agency plans to fill an additional 22 positions over the next few months, especially at the mission level.
Will it be enough to help USAID reach its localization targets? Part of that, David writes, depends on how long their new hiring spree lasts. While a second Biden administration will likely keep hiring moving forward, a second Trump administration could see the exact opposite — at least, according to some early predictions from right-wing think tanks.
Read more: How USAID is hiring to tackle its localization agenda (Career)
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MacKenzie Scott, the third-wealthiest woman in the United States, has given billions to nonprofits in the last few years. Scott’s “trust-based” approach is marked by giving large, unrestricted gifts to organizations — but despite Scott’s influence, it doesn’t seem like many other philanthropists are taking her lead.
“When we started our research, we really hoped we'd be tracking other philanthropists following in her footsteps, and we have not seen much of that at all,” Gabrielle Fitzgerald, the founder and CEO of Panorama Group, said at a Devex Pro event earlier this week.
Instead, Fitzgerald said that most philanthropists give away just one-fifth of their money without earmarks — and despite long-standing calls for unrestricted funding, as of right now, those trends don't seem to be changing.
“When is a business ever asked what their overhead cost is?” Anne-Marie Harling, the managing director of philanthropic collaboration at Co-Impact, said at the event. “It just doesn't happen. Nonprofits are often taking on the most complex challenges that this world has to offer, and yet we hamstrung them with very specific funding, very focused line item reporting. It just boggles my mind that there isn't even more of a move towards more flexible funding, or an unrestricted funding model.”
Read: MacKenzie Scott has lessons for philanthropists. Are they listening? (Pro)
ICYMI: MacKenzie Scott gave away over $2B last year. Where did it go? (Pro)
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Whether you’re trying to work at USAID, the United Nations, or anywhere else around the world, negotiating contracts — especially in the international development space — can be tricky. How much should you charge? How do you account for expenses? Should your approach change depending on the organization? And which firms actually tell their candidates how much they’re willing to pay?
Devex broke down all of those details in a new downloadable guide, one that will help you master contract negotiations — and set a competitive, yet fair rate — as an independent consultant. We’ve got the questions you should be asking employers, the four ingredients to setting your rate, and the information you need to make sure cash isn’t left on the table.
Get your copy now: Your guide to negotiating consulting contracts (Career)
Japan’s foreign aid will soon prioritize advanced technologies like AI and quantum computing over infrastructure development. [Nikkei Asia]
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk and experts have condemned Georgia’s new "foreign agents" law as it undermines freedom of expression and association. [UN News]
Nearly 100 humanitarian groups in Sudan warned Elon Musk that shutting down Starlink’s internet service amid a telecommunications blackout risks “collectively punishing” millions by hindering emergency aid coordination. [The Guardian]
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