Making an Organization More Diverse: Tips for Success

Nonprofit employers who seek to make their organizations more reflective of the people they serve need to take action, not simply talk about it, says Paul Schmitz, president of Public Allies, in Milwaukee, which trains young people for careers in social-change organizations.

"Nonprofits feel diversity is an ideal, and if you express your care about it, then you believe in it," he says. "But that's just the beginning, not the ending."

Mr. Schmitz and other nonprofit officials say organizations can take other steps to break down racial barriers. Among them:

Let the leaders lead the way, advises Emmett D. Carson, president of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in Mountain View, Calif. "It has to start at the board and executive levels," he says. "It can't be in human resources or through a department head. If that's the case, things won't change."
Put a succession plan in place that encourages leaders to consider nonwhite staff members who are qualified for top positions, says Ludovic Blain, a consultant who conducted research on diversity in conjunction with the Building Movement Project, in New York, which helps social-advocacy organizations prepare for leadership transitions. Armando Rayo, director of Hands On Central Texas, in Austin, a department within the local United Way, says such a plan is essential. "Organizations need to be intentional about giving people of color a chance for top jobs," he says.
Keep tabs on imminent leadership transitions, on who are the outgoing executives' allies on the board, and on what those trustees' tendencies might be in making hiring decisions, suggest Mr. Blain.
Craft clear decision-making policies on hiring and promotions that include a stated commitment to diversifying leadership — as some large organizations such as the United Way of America, in Alexandria, Va., have done — so that they can be debated and enhanced.
Cast the net wide, looking for not only graduates of prestigious private institutions but also alumni of public universities and technical and community colleges. And don't rule out candidates who lack degrees but have relevant skills and experience, says Mr. Schmitz. "Someone who's good at building teams, but isn't the best at paperwork, doesn't mean they're not meritorious," says Mr. Schmitz.
Dismiss any suggestion that talented, nonwhite job candidates are so in demand that they would never consider working for a charity. Nonprofit paychecks are not always significantly smaller than those earned at comparable corporate jobs, says Mr. Schmitz. "Most business in America is the little sandwich shop next door or the dry cleaner on the corner," he says. "When a $5-million nonprofit compares itself to a $5-million business, the accountant's making about the same, the IT guy's making about the same."
Collaborate with professional networks of nonprofit workers who are members of minority groups. Along the same lines, organizations should work to understand divergent cultures. "Nonprofits need to take steps into those networks where people of color are," says Patrick A. Corvington, senior associate in leadership development at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in Baltimore. "People there might know others who can do the job."

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