Give To Gain emphasises the power of people, organisations and communitis giving generously. When they do, opportunities and support for women increase that help to create a more supportive and interconnected world.

What can we give as senior leaders in charities in order to gain from our staff?

As Head of Operations at Nova, here are some considerations and reflections I have taken from this question.

We can give our time.

Through regular checks ins, 1:1s and peer supervision, we can dedicate the appropriate amount of time to our staff to ensure they are supported, heard, and valued. The first question on our 1:1 form is quite simply ‘How are you, how’s your wellbeing’, and I believe that providing staff with that dedicated time before anything work related is mentioned, really instils that you are a caring, supportive employer, and the employee’s wellbeing comes quite literally before work related matters.

We can give equal opportunities.

Whatever the role, whatever the candidate, we can make sure an equal playing field is there for all to access each opportunity, regardless of any personal characteristics. At Nova, staff are regarded based on ability, passion and work ethic, not by gender.

We can give resource.

We invest in our team. Whether it be promotions, cost of living pay increases, the correct equipment to do the job, and simply supplying tea and coffee (and the occasional posh biscuit!) at the office, investments in terms of resource show the value of the staff team.

I also feel that creating useful, dynamic internal communications is a great resource – staff are equipped with the correct knowledge about the organisation and current projects to be confident in their roles.

We can give development opportunities and visibility.

Put people in the limelight! Put them on a pedestal! Give staff the recognition and visibility they deserve if they are doing a brilliant job. Provide the opportunity for them to do more/take on different projects.

I’m far better at saying how great someone else has done, and I’m sure the majority of people feel the same. So use it!

We can provide opportunities to learn and gain qualifications.

We provide time within the working week for staff to complete a range of qualifications. We do that because we recognise that out of the 37.5 hours we’re at work, to take on something else outside of our already busy ‘out of work’ lives, is quite impossible. We provide the opportunity to complete the qualification, but also provide the time for staff to complete it well.

And by giving this, what do we gain?

• We gain a strong, skilled team, who feel empowered and confident in their roles.
• We gain a positive work culture, with no place for bias.
• We gain women that can give their best whilst at work.
• We gain the opportunity to be a role model organisation, and communicate pieces such as this to share ideas.

We encourage you to consider what your organisation can do for women.

Written by Nova's Head of Operations, Natalie Jones, for International Women's Day 2026.