Yes, it’s 2010. And no, diversity is not dead.
Businesses like PriceWaterhouseCoopers understand that “diversity and inclusion is essential for business success,” especially when it comes to cultivating and supporting their talent. many of my colleagues and I often wish that more nonprofit groups would share this same priority in our work.
So, of course, I was really sad to see that two longstanding leadership-development programs for emerging foundation leaders of color are going away — at least temporarily. The Associated Grant Makers Diversity Fellowship and the ABFE (Association of Black Foundation Executives) Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program list both similar and different reasons for ending or halting their leadership-development program for leaders of color.
Associated Grant Makers Diversity Fellowship
Here’s a recent statement from AGM about discontinuing its diversity fellowship program:
“In 2009, AGM undertook a significant strategic planning process to carefully examine all of our programs and services and to align those services more sharply with both our members’ needs as well as the current economic reality.
“While the board and staff of AGM remain deeply committed to diversity, inclusion and equity, we are not able to continue the program in its current form. Thus, we will be ending the Diversity Fellowship after this current class of Fellows completes their term, and will not be accepting a fourth class of Fellows. As our new strategic plan is implemented, we will be developing other programs to support diversity and equity in the philanthropic field.”
ABFE (Association of Black Foundation Executives) Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program
Here’s a similar statement from ABFE:
“As we approach our historic 40th year, we have committed ourselves to revisiting each programmatic strategy to ensure its alignment with ABFE’s current vision and trajectory as a leader in the field of philanthropy. Primary among these efforts is the Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program, which has emerged in its first five years as a model in the sector for leadership development and retention of mid-career professionals. In recognition of this promise, we have decided to celebrate year five by performing an assessment longitudinal evaluation to substantiate our anecdotal information on the program’s impact on skills enhancement and retention claims. As a result, we will forego conducting a 2010-2011 class, instead opting to invite a new class to begin in the summer of 2011.”
I’m wondering if these two announcements signal a sectorwide trend.
Even as the AGM and ABFE fellowships pause their programming, the San Francisco Foundation continues its Multicultural Fellowship Program.
I’m also encouraged by newer initiatives like the Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Professional Development Fund for young people of color, and the Women of Color Policy Network’s Lead the Way Program.
I just hope they will be sustainable in the long term.
Do you know of any other leadership-development efforts geared toward supporting people of color in the nonprofit sector? If so, please share them in the comments section! I’d like to cull a list to share at a later date.
11 Responses to The Decline of Leadership Development for Nonprofit Professionals of Color?
andyho - June 24, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Rosetta, The San Francisco Foundation has had for many years now its Multicultural Fellowship Program. http://www.sff.org/programs/multicultural-fellowship-programThis is one of several examples of leadership development efforts for the philanthropic sector which are on the Trading Power website’s Resources page. http://www.cofinteract.org/tradingpower/resources.aspHope this helps!
dsyuen - June 24, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Rosetta,The Harvard Business School Asian American Alumni Association (HBS4A) sponsors one Executive Director from an Asian American non-profit to attend the Strategic Perspective Non-Profit Management Program at Harvard Business School each year. Dien
lindawood222 - June 24, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Rosetta,The Pipeline Project (Clarence Patton, ED) launched the 21st Century Fellows program last year to prepare people of color managers for executive-level positions in gay and lesbian organizations. (The ultimate goal of the program is to help ensure that the leadership of the LGBT movement reflect the diversity of the LGBT community.)Linda WoodSenior Director, Haas, Jr. FundSan Francisco
cpatton - June 24, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Thanks, Linda! Rosetta, please feel free to contact me if you’d like more info on the Pipeline Project; I sent a separate email to you.
wildwomanfundraising - June 24, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Dear Rosetta,Thanks for drawing this to the attention of everyone who cares about diversity in leadership. It seems to me that we need to be mentoring diverse leaders systemically, as a sector, not just in one off efforts org by org. These few organizations recognizing that it’s important are not enough.How can we all collaborate together to make more opportunities for people of color and women to lead nonprofits and philanthropy organizations?In my opinion, it needs to be a national movement, a stipulation of funding, and a mandate. We need to have 40% women on each nonprofit board, people who have been served by the organization, if possible, to break class barriers as well, and a mentorship program for each board member to nurture younger leaders of color to eventually sit on the board. We need to help create these networking relationships to spread equality through our corporate sector as well. And organizations that won’t comply, we need to fiscally penalize them. Money appears to be the one thing that everyone will listen to. If Norway did it, we can do it. This is why President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and NY Times journalist Nick Kristof are working on the commission on women. They understand that a more equal society will benefit us all. What do you think?Sincerely,MazarinePS. If you’d like to continue the discussion on why funding women and diverse leadership is so important, I’ve got a post on this. http://www.wildwomanfundraising.com/why-you-need-to-cater-your-fundraising-specifically-to-women/Looking forward to your comments…
agos6471 - June 24, 2010 at 9:26 pm
The majority of not for profits, those in the service and program areas, serve people of color, while their missions are not explicit nor state “we exit to serve people of color” what they offer is a response to the social and economic hardships, the poverty, and needs that people of color face (yes, others do too but we know where the poverty rate is higher and where the greatest needs lie)—the need for leaders of color is urgent, no one can talk the total or absolute truth to another if the mirror isn’t there for reflection. I know that to serve others with compassion and competency we do not have to look like them but we have an obligation to develop the leadership of people who receive services. Affirmative action is not just for admission to higher education or for the private sector, it needs to be mandatory for not profits. Sincerely,Rosa
independentsector - June 24, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I’m surprised that the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) at the AmAmerican Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is not mentioned. It’s one of the oldest programs to groom people of color for executive positions in nonprofits and association management.
kasius - June 28, 2010 at 3:47 pm
The National Urban Fellows program, http://www.nuf.org, is still running strong. An MPA program it’s nationally known and respected.
wjfreeman - June 30, 2010 at 4:01 pm
While it could be due tot he author’s limited nonprofit experience and / or narrow life focus, she again beats the same tired diversity drum. I am surprised that the Chronicle continues to provide her with a platform; give it a rest! My difficulties are two-fold. First, she mistakenly limites the notion of “diversity” to race and ethnicity. Second, she invites a faulty solution based on hiring numbers (i.e., quotas). Both of these are a setup for disastrous failure. As a nonprofit executive, university professor teaching nonprofit graduate working students, and a Latino, we would do well to understand that true “diversity” is about strong, value-driven leadership that enables organizations to achieve — as the late John Gardner of Common Cause called — “wholeness incorporating diversity.”To this end, Gardner warns us that to achieve meaningful diversity goals we must be careful “not to achieve wholeness by suppressing diversity, nor to make wholeness impossible by enthroning diversity, but to preserve both.”
chroniclethis2 - July 1, 2010 at 11:50 am
Dear Rosetta:For forty years, National Urban Fellows has addressed one of the most important and challenging issues faced by America today – the under-representation of people of color and women in leadership, particularly in government, public service and non-profit sectors.One of the oldest leadership development organizations in the U.S., National Urban Fellows has developed over 1200 leaders who are making a difference by identifying issues, shaping solutions, forming public policies and impacting social justice and equity.Our 14- month Fellows scholarship program links academics with a nine-month mentorship, that culminates in a Master of Public Administration. It is the only program in the country where Fellows receive an advanced degree and critical leadership experience.In 2009, National Urban Fellows established the America’s Leaders of Change program (ALOC). The program was created to accelerate the leadership potential of professionals of color who are currently successful leaders, and who possess the talent to further effect positive change in our nation.Moreover, this year as National Urban Fellows celebrates its 40th anniversary, it has announced a national call to action, that has evolved into the Public Service Leadership Diversity Initiative. Our initiative challenges national and community non-profit organizations, government agencies and community leaders across the country to help develop a national pipeline of leaders of color who are ready and waiting to step into leadership positions of power and influence.The Public Service Leadership Diversity Initiative was prompted by findings in National Urban Fellows recently released diversity research report, Changing the Face of Public Service Leadership, along with current government statistical data pointing to both the burgeoning population shift of people of color (new majority by 2050) and the impending leadership gap being created by retiring baby boomers. To learn more about National Urban Fellows visit http://www.nuf.orgBest,National Urban Fellows
dhagenbuch - July 9, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Great post, Rosetta.We continue to find that diversity is a priority for many of our clients. Organizations want to hire “next generation” people of color into leadership roles. However, with programs like the ones you mentioned going away, this not only changing the opportunity for emerging leaders, but for the organizations that wish to hire them as well.To dig into these types of issues further, Commongood Careers is launching a Diversity Survey in late July 2010. The survey will examine what motivates jobseekers and how they perceive and evaluate diversity in the nonprofit sector. This data will hopefully be used to inform recruitment, hiring and professional development best practices for people of color who are interested in pursuing long-term careers in the nonprofit sector.