Does your non-profit’s board of directors mirror its community and clientele? Identifying if your board lacks diversity is the seemingly easy part. Determining what to do about it can prove more difficult. However, it’s important to your non-profit’s mission because it can end up affecting your funding and program effectiveness.
Striking A Healthy Balance
When starting out, your non-profit probably just wanted to get the word out about its mission. So, you may have recruited family members, friends, and friends of friends for your board. As time passes, however, your non-profit might find that it’s represented solely by one race, sex, religion, or economic class. And such lack of diversity can signal a disconnect from your community.
What’s considered ‘healthy’ diversity will vary from board to board. But think of it like this: The more diverse your board is in attributes, the more diverse it will be in thoughts and ideas. This diversity can come in many forms — physical, societal, and economic.
If your bylaws limit the number of board members you can have at any given time, you might consider amending them to accommodate your non-profit’s commitment to board diversity. Be careful, though, that the size of your board doesn’t become unwieldy.
Start With What You Have
The first step to a great mix is to ask board members to write their own profiles. In the instructions you give — or on the form you provide — include the attributes you consider important, such as skill sets and particular demographics. From this information, you’ll be able to see what the board may lack.
Look at the group as a whole and assess where the organization lies on the diversity continuum. Imagine a scale from ‘1’ to ‘5,’ with ‘5’ displaying your non-profit’s ideal diversity. Assess your members and give yourself a score. The diversity, or lack thereof, should be obvious. You may find, for example, that the board is underrepresented by women, persons of color, young adults, or individuals with a financial background.
Find New Members
Explain the need for diversity to your board — if members haven’t already vocalized the need themselves. Ask them to help find the right individuals in their own personal and professional networks. Also gather input from your community and the organizations that serve it. If your non-profit lacks the perspective of younger people, for example, contact a local ‘young professionals’ group in your area or recent college graduates.
If you’re having trouble finding qualified board members, try a board placement service. Some communities have board training programs for people interested in joining non-profit boards. Professional associations also can be a good recruitment resource. Some state CPA organizations, for example, help match accountants with non-profits that need volunteers with financial expertise.
Term Limit Option
If you’re reluctant to enlarge the size of your board, take every resignation to put in place an individual who will help you meet your diversity goals. But if this process ends up being too slow, you might want to consider implementing term limits for board members.