This document discusses the importance of diversity on nonprofit boards and provides strategies for improving diversity. It notes that board diversity has remained largely unchanged since 1994, with most boards being predominantly white. While nonprofit leaders recognize the value of diversity, improving diversity is not a top priority for most boards. The document advocates for increasing diversity by recruiting people of color onto boards and ensuring boards consider issues related to race when setting policies. It also defines common terms related to diversity such as cultural competency, inclusiveness, and multiculturalism.

1. Untapped Potential:
Recruit, Retain and Engage People of
Color on Your Nonprofit Board
 Randell McShepard
Vice President, Public Affairs & Chief Talent Officer, RPM and Chair & Co-Founder, Policy Bridge
 Greg Brown
Executive Director, Policy Bridge
 Moderator: Elizabeth Voudouris
Executive Vice President, Business Volunteers Unlimited

2. Does Your Board Ask these Questions?
 Are people of color comfortable serving on this board?
 Does the board consider issues relating to race and ethnicity
when it sets policies and makes decisions for the
organization?
 What could the board do differently to become more
inclusive and welcoming?
 What could the board do differently to address the needs of
communities of color?
Katherine Pease, Inclusiveness at Work: How to Build Inclusive Nonprofit Organizations
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3. The Challenge
The levels of board diversity have mostly remained unchanged
since 1994
 90% chief execs and 84% board members report as Caucasian
 2017 – 27% boards identify as all white (compares to 25% in 2015)
Source: Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices 2017
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4. The Challenge
Nonprofit chief executives consider board diversity important to
their boards work
 65% report that they are somewhat or extremely dissatisfied with
their board’s ethnic and racial diversity
 25% of boards place a high priority on demographics in board
recruitment
 Changing board recruitment practices does not rank as a top
three priority for most boards
 19% CEOs indicate that their board has developed an action plan
to increase diversity
Source: Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices 2017
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5. The Opportunity
1. Diversity on nonprofit boards falls short of reflecting the overall diversity of the United
States.
2. Older organizations and organizations with higher revenues tend to have less diverse
boards.
3. Older organizations tend to have board members who are more involved in overseeing and
governance and have higher board member commitment and involvement.
4. Organizations with higher revenues tend to have boards that are more engaged with
policymakers and advocacy.
5. Boards with higher percentages of women tend to have more board member engagement,
higher fundraising engagement, and higher advocacy engagement.
6. The pursuit of board diversity delivers its own rewards.
THE IMPACT OF DIVERSITY:
Understanding How Nonprofit Board Diversity Affects Philanthropy, Leadership, and Board Engagement, The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2018
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6. Common Terms
 Cultural Competency
The willingness and ability to value differences and be responsive to diversity.
 Inclusiveness
The involvement of diverse individuals and the incorporation of diverse
perspectives, needs, contributions, and viewpoints.
 Diversity
The condition of being different; the fact or quality of being diverse; variety.
 Diversity includes, but is not limited to: gender, age, religion, sexual
orientation, race/ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, legal
status, disability, geographic base, political viewpoint.
 Multiculturalism
An ideology advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and
include, distinct cultural groups, with equal status.
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