The majority of US non-profits are seeking to diversify their boards of directors, according to a new survey carried out by CariClub. The research, entitled Accessing Diverse Board Candidates, has revealed that approximately 95% of non-profits are actively recruiting to diversify their governing/executive boards. Furthermore, 60% are doing the same for their associate/junior Boards.
The professional network for social impact surveyed around 1,000 non-profits across America to better understand the lack of diverse representation on non-profit boards. The report explores the severity of the situation, the reasons behind it and what the non-profits are willing to do about it.
LEAST-REPRESENTED GROUPS
Interestingly, the survey found that 51% of non-profits said that their boards did not reflect the communities that their organisations served. The least represented groups on non-profit boards are Hispanic or Latino (according to 77% on governing boards and 74% on associate boards), Black or African American (72% on governing boards and 68% on associate boards) and Asian (58% on governing boards and 50% on associate boards).
However, 83% of non-profits said they are “willing to increase their governing board size to increase diverse representation”. Around 88% said the same about their associate Board. But for 87% of non-profits the biggest obstacle to diversifying their board “is finding the right recruitment channels”, the survey revealed.
ADDRESSING THE PIPELINE PROBLEM
“Non-profit organisations have always strived to maintain a diverse board of directors, but it is a challenge to build and sustain a pipeline of highly qualified candidates,” stated Rhoden Monrose, CEO and Founder of CariClub. “This data will help us expand our work to address the pipeline problem and support these nonprofits as they improve their diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Since launching in 2015, CariClub has partnered with hundreds of nonprofits and foundations to place young professionals on boards at no cost to the nonprofit organisations. High-performing companies are also partnering with CariClub to place their best employees on the boards of leading non-profit organisations.
PREPARING DIVERSE PIPELINES
According to Better World Leadership, board involvement presents a unique opportunity for employees to develop personally and professionally and non-profit board programmes are uniquely effective for companies to advance leadership development, diversity and inclusion, recruitment and retention, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. When employees get stuck in the development pipeline they miss out on the experiences to develop personally and professionally that can prepare them to advance in their. CariClub’s initiative, however, aims to change this.
Inspired by the results of the Accessing Diverse Board Candidates survey, CariClub is now in the process of developing a programme to partner with corporate clients to create boardpmatching programmes specifically for people of colour that will place diverse candidates on non-profit boards. The programme is being piloted with four companies in New York City. Additional details will be announced later this year, confirmed CariClub.
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