Non-Profit Leaders Convene to Discuss Impact of Diversity on a Non Profit Board

New York, N.Y. (March 17, 2006) – On March 8, top level Non-Profit Executives, Board Members, thought leaders, and researchers from organizations around the New York Tri-State region gathered to discuss the Impact of Diversity on a Non Profit Board. The panelists and attendees shared experiences about the intricacies, opportunities, and challenges of diversifying Non-Profit boards.

Hosted by the Non-Profit Leadership League at its offices in New York City, the panel included Kenneth W. Austin, President of the Association of Black Foundation Executives; Alisa Baratta, Executive Director, Nonprofit Connection; Kumiki Gibson, Senior Vice President of Administration & Governance, Chief Governance Officer, and Counselor to the President, National Urban League; and Elena Feliz, Vice President of Executive Development, VIPCG. Tim Lannan President of Tim Lannan Consulting facilitated the discussions.

The Panelists opined that though Non-profits provide a myriad of much needed services to diverse individuals and communities throughout the tri-state area, not enough of them have Boards that reflect the diversity of the Tri State Region or the communities that they serve. Participants shared that lack of diversity on the Board impacts the capacity of the organization to deliver mission critical programs as well access to funding. They argued that diversity on the Board is a critical strategic need for innovation, funding, impact, and good service delivery.

The discussion also focused on how much in-road has been made in diversifying the membership of the Board and what benefits and drawbacks have accrued to the Non-Profit in quality and impact of programming, and quality of work-life for employees. Some pertinent quotes from panelists include:

“We all have a role in helping how the Non-Profit sector looks at diversity and inclusion,” said Kenneth Austin of ABFE.

On measuring the success of a diverse Board, Alisa Baratta added that one of the ways to measure success is to look at whether “an increase in giving from diverse populations who are attracted to the board based on the new board members.”

“Diversity is complex and we need to be clear that it’s complex and work towards inclusion,” said Elena Feliz.
Attendees agreed unanimously that the event hit the mark and was a highly needed as many of them struggled with having to balance board diversity in developing capacity. The participants agreed that Board diversity is not about numbers or head count as much as it is about giving voice to all who are on the board.

One of the challenges voiced was that the insularity of many boards - not knowing where to go for diverse board members. Kenneth Austin of ABFE provided some avenues for them to follow including: Diversity Pipeline Alliance, National Black MBA Association, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and the PHd Project.
One attendee voiced her disappointment that the Nonprofit Sector has not spear headed the fight toward inclusivity. Other comments from attendees included:

“This was a wonderful discussion…I found the level of richness and authenticity wonderful…these types of conversations are rare in the Non-Profit world”

“I thought the discussion was extremely helpful”

“I now feel a lot more comfortable bringing up diversity at our next board meeting.”

“This was a frank and open discussion and I was very pleased about that.”

ABOUT THE NON-PROFIT LEADERSHIP LEAGUE
Founded in 2002, the Non-Profit Leadership League is a learning community of Non-Profit Executives and provides practical tools and resources to develop their leadership skills and organizational capacity through Leadership Development Programs, Management Training, Assessments and Change Interventions.

The organization’s membership includes board members, executive staff, and thought leaders in the Non-Profit community.

The Non-Profit Leadership League is a division of VIPCG, Inc. (http://www.thevipcg.com), a Leadership Development company.

For more information please contact Josh Kitlas, Non-Profit Leadership League, 535 8th Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or call 212.686.6071 or email: jkitlas@npleader.com.