May 20, 2009
Foundations Lack Board Diversity, Says Report
By Ian Wilhelm
Foundations are failing to recruit diverse board leadership, with Hispanics being the most under represented compared to their growing number in American society, according to a new report.
The report, by the Greenlining Institute, a public-policy advocacy group in Berkeley, Calif., that has pushed foundations to give more to minority causes, said a quarter of the board members at the 46 wealthiest foundations in America are Hispanic, black, or Asian. Thirteen of the grant makers — 28 percent — had no board members from the three racial and ethnic populations.
The percentages of people on foundation boards who are black or Asian are roughly equal to their part of the American population — roughly 12 and 4 percent, respectively.
But Greenlining said Hispanics, which are the fastest-growing minority group in the country, represent 15 percent of the population, but only 8 percent of the 46 organizations’ board members. More than half the foundations examined do not have one Hispanic board member, it added.
“The example of placing value on diversity begins at the board level, and extends to the decisions made at the staff level,” the report says. “Given the increasingly multicultural and multiethnic nature of American society, foundations cannot continue to fall behind as the future moves towards greater inclusiveness.”
The report will be available Friday on Greenlining’s Web site.
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As a Trustee of the Napa Valley Community Foundation, we have worked hard to include Hispanic members on our board, which is representative of our agricultural community in this world-famous wine region. It has been difficult in the recent past to find philanthropically-minded ethnic leaders, but new, young leaders are emerging and willing to serve on a board that services ALL non-profits in our diverse community. It takes work and determination, but progress is being made.
— Lauren Ackerman May 20, 02:19 PM #
I agree with this research. I am an African American male with an advanced graduate degree from Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy which has allowed me to be mentored by the top researchers in the fields of philanthropy and foundation work. Yet, I am seldom contacted by foundations looking to diversify. Perhaps, the day will come when Board Directors and members will make conscious choices to allow for diverse perspectives aimed at the betterment of mankind. Brendon L. Saunders, LLC (Googleable)
— Brendon L. Saunders May 21, 04:57 PM #
The most important qualification for board service is a passion for the mission of the organization. There is a responsibility for all nonprofits, including foundations, to actively recruit the best board members to move their missions forward. The best teams are diverse teams that manage to communicate differences well and reach agreement on issues based on the shared values and shared passion for the organization’s mission.
However, board service shouldn’t be merely a resume exercise, for either the board member or for the organization. Gender, race, ethnicity, professional and personal experience, education, geographic location, socioeconomic status, etc., are all factors to be considered in board diversity. However, they are considerations, not determinative. What should be determinative are passion and capacity.
— Michael L. Wyland May 26, 07:44 AM #
The value of diversity representation is beyond argument. The point made immediately above about board qualification hinging on a passion for the mission indicates that a there is much more to board membership other than simple percentages approximating national averages.
That is, is a local museum in Nebraska, for example, going to have similar board makeup as a health issues NGO in New York? Not likely. Even if the populations are similar, do the various groups in the population have a similar “passion” for similar non-profits. Also, not likely. 2 similar non-profits in the same city will have different support groups and from these groups, not from the city population as a whole, is where their boards should be found – from the ones that care about that non-profit. I never gave much credence to some peoples’ decrying “quotas” in relation to ethnicity-based discussions, but it is very important to consider the non-profit’s mission in relation to the relevant population and who in that population has a passion for that mission. It will never be as simple as 10% of the board because that group is 10% of the population. Finally, different ethnic groups have different ideas about community action and participation. If a group is culturally less inclined to participate in organized board activity, then their overall participation will possibly never match their percentage of the total population.
— FM Jun 4, 12:10 PM #