Diversity on Boards

Why is Board Diversity Important?

Having a board with diverse perspectives is critically important. Everyone brings his or her own personal and professional contacts and experiences to their service on a nonprofit board. There will always be numerous challenges facing a nonprofit, so it is extremely helpful when a nonprofit is able to build bridges to potential donors or policy makers in the community in a variety of ways and has a board that reflects the diversity of the community served. A diverse board will increase the chances that a nonprofit will be able to access resources in the community and be prepared to respond to external influences such as changes in its environment or those served. When a nonprofit board is facing a major decision, having diverse perspectives on the board helps spot the opportunities and the risks. Boards that are not diverse will be chasing their tails: if all the board members travel in the same social circle, identifying and engaging new board members will be a huge challenge.

Diversity should be thought of as a basic indicator of a nonprofit’s capacity to sustain itself over the long term. Cultivate new board members who can expand the board’s collective cultural awareness. Look for the types of professional expertise, personal experiences, and geographic reach that can help the nonprofit respond to the community's future needs. Broadening the breadth of perspectives of your nonprofit’s board is a goal for which every nonprofit should strive.

How Can My Organization Promote Board Diversity?

Success with diversity can be a challenge. When someone new joins the board, do they feel welcomed or isolated?  Just as when a nonprofit is bringing on a new staff member, onboarding board members needs to be intentional. A formal orientation can help manage expectations and also be a good time to introduce veteran board members to the newcomers and establish mentoring relationships that can help knit together a diverse group. Age of board members is a type of diversity that has received much attention recently in the examination of “next generation” leadership. Check BoardSource's report, Next Generation and Governance, to learn how younger generations can add value to boards and read this post from the Nonprofit Law Blog on the issue of minors serving on nonprofit boards.  Also, visit the Leadership section of the National Council of Nonprofit’s website for more information on this topic.

1. Conduct a self-assessment. What is the profile of your current board today?
2. What should it be in the future? Consider where the organization is going and what skills, experiences, contacts, professional and personal backgrounds will be most helpful to the organization in the near - and longer term.
3. Set goals for expanding the profile of the board in certain areas.
4. Start evaluating board prospects with those goals in mind, and make sure all the current board members know what to look for when they are considering future board member prospects.
5. Look at the board’s current “culture.” Is it welcoming to individuals of diverse backgrounds? When you invite someone to join the board you will want them to feel comfortable and become engaged with the mission, their role, and their colleagues on the board.

Resources

• Review Blue Avocado's three part series, "A Fresh Look at Diversity and Boards," including discussion of a diversity statement.
• Read about why having a diverse board is a positive hallmark of a risk-aware nonprofit.
• Learn practical tips from this article in Blue Avocado that demonstrates how recruiting individuals “unlike ourselves” for nonprofit boards is so important.
• Read this report from a survey conducted by BoardSource exploring the experiences of board members of color that underscores the barriers that often get in the way to integrating diverse individuals on nonprofit boards: Vital Voices: Lessons Learned from Board Members of Color (2009).
• You may be surprised by the dramatic results that emerged from a major report by the Urban Institute (2007) which illustrate why many boards are so insular that they are “cut off” from the public they serve and the needs of communities. Download the full report from the Urban Institute (June 2007).
• Check out Daring to Lead's 2011 Brief: The Board Paradox to learn about board and executive director relationships.
• Read BoardSource's 2010 Board Governance Index for information on board practices.

Also visit the section on Boards and Governance in the National Council's online bookstore.