Only 61.3 percent of Americans are white, about 84 percent of nonprofit board members are in that demographic group, along with 90 percent of nonprofit board chairs.

What can be done?

  1. Understand the Status Quo: “Acknowledge the job dissatisfaction of employees of color” and consider whether factors such as lower pay might be driving dissatisfaction.
  2. Communicate: “Consistently communicating why [diversity] would advance the group’s mission—and is worth the trouble—is key. So is letting employees of color know their input is highly valued.”
  3. Create Space for Feedback: “Airing feedback from employees of color at board meetings helps groups that are taking this task seriously.”
  4. Mentor: Develop leaders of color by “requiring nonprofit executives to identify, hire and mentor non-whites for leadership roles.”

Read the full article on nonprofit leadership by Steve Dubb at Nonprofit Quarterly.