Meanwhile, we have some other challenges in the sector we have to deal with. BoardSource just released its report on board diversity, and the statistics are frustrating, disappointing, and somewhat anger-inducing.

Still, just because it’s a complex problem, doesn’t mean we can’t all start taking actions immediately. Here are few suggestions I came up with for what each of our organizations must do. BoardSource has other great advice too. Discuss this issue with your board. We all need to:

  • Analyze your board demographics
  • Train your board on race, diversity, and implicit biases
  • Get over color-blindness and prioritize demographics
  • Reduce the influence of money in determining who is on your board
  • Make sure your next three board members are diverse

The board structure, for all its challenges and weaknesses, is the governance system we currently have, and board members have a lot of influence on the entire sector, and thus on the communities we serve. Board diversity is no longer a nice-to-have; it determines whether we advance in our fight against injustice, or whether we inadvertently perpetuate that same injustice.

Read the full article about board diversity on Nonprofit AF