06/03/2024

A Path to Improve Board Diversity

Nonprofits still struggle to broaden the range of people participating in governance

Four years after a very vocal and intense public conversation around diversity, how far have we come? A new report points to some positives, but also suggests that there’s plenty of work to be done.

The State of Diversity in the U.S. Nonprofit Sector, released last month by Candid, is based on an analysis of nearly 60,000 organizations. Its main takeaway is that while many organizations have addressed diversity in their organizations, nonprofit leadership is predominantly white and male, especially at larger groups: while 47 percent of all staff identify as white, 70 percent of CEOs and 66 percent of board members do.

As the report points out, DEI efforts only go so far when they’re decoupled from leadership opportunities. "Diversity alone is ultimately insufficient," says the report. "Our diversity must be coupled with equitable opportunities and resources, and inclusion in conversations, decision making, and leadership. An important step toward improving equity is examining who currently has access to power—through leadership roles and/or financial resources."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.