Women’s issues are not about women.  Race issues are not about people of color.

And when Mars attacks Oklahoma, the issues will not be about Oklahoma.

I visited a domestic abuse nonprofit.  They do great work, but are ghettoized by donors as a “women’s issue” charity.  The executive director wondered how they might be able to globalize the cause (and increase revenues).

“Domestic abuse is a societal problem,” she complained.  “And I worry that without some men providing disinterested advocacy, we’ll only attract women donors.”

But every time she interviewed qualified men for marketing or development positions (and they’d graduate to a final 10-on-1 group interview), the staff and board balked.  “Just not a good fit,” they’d euphemize.  And they’d recommend another qualified woman.

Is your charity’s issue exclusively yours?  If not, how are you communicating that?