This article, which is one in an NPQ series about networked governance, explores the role that fear, tradition, and serendipity play as unconscious factors influencing board choices and action.
In a bizarre parallel to recent findings by BoardSource in the United States, a study in the UK has found that, among the largest charities in England and Wales the proportion of charities with all white boards has increased.
The older a nonprofit organization is, and the greater its budget, the less diverse its board is likely to be, a new BoardSource report finds. This may be a product of ingrained, if unconscious, bias. Changing these numbers clearly requires a multi-faceted approach.
To embed inclusion in our nonprofits, having the right policies is important. But even more important is building an organizational culture that makes cultural competence a priority.
PREMIUM CONTENT | “Every executive and board leader will leave some day. Every person who adds value will, as well.” This article looks at how to manage leadership change in a way that is forward-looking, not reactionary, and which employs the opportunities that transitions brings to improve outcomes and better achieve the organization’s mission.
As NPQ has widely covered, stated nonprofit support for diversity is often not reflected in their leadership. Former nonprofit CEO Kenneth Taylor highlights some of the challenges while identifying a few action steps that nonprofits pursuing board and leadership diversity can take.
Recent research indicates that there has been little to no progress towards the goal of remaking nonprofit boards to be more racially inclusive—and more inclusive in general—so NPQ and BoardSource will be launching a project this year that needs your participation.
NPQ and BoardSource are looking for boards who have discovered their own secret sauce to becoming inclusive.
This most recent webinar in our series on nonprofit boards gets serious about practical strategies nonprofits can take to create more diverse and inclusive boards. This is not a theory but a practice session.
Anne Wallestad, the CEO of BoardSource, gave a barnburner of a talk at the organization’s recent conference. In it, she emphasized the need for a values base in our boards and a willingness to stand up and advocate even when it might be seen as out of the ordinary. After all, that’s what leadership in the social sector requires.
