Category: 2017 Report

Accelerating Nonprofit Board Diversity

Nonprofit HR (Dec. 5, 2017) In our current political and social climate, it is more important than ever that nonprofit organizations step up to serve those in need and innovate for the health and sustainability of their missions. Developing truly diverse and inclusive boards is a critical step toward achieving these goals. Read the full… Read more »

Letter to the Editor: In Defense of Board Diversity

Anne Wallestad, The Chronicle of Philanthropy (July 18, 2017) There is significant evidence that boards and other leadership bodies composed of diverse groups of leaders perform better in many critical areas, most notably in innovation, problem solving, and financial performance… Read the full article.

Board Smarts: What’s Missing?

Tim Ebner, Associations Now (Dec. 1, 2017) Getting boards to remedy diversity and inclusion blind spots isn’t easy. Here’s how one organization is doing it. Read the full article.

Report: Nonprofit Boards Are Overwhelmingly White

KJZZ (Nov. 27, 2017) BoardSource data that shows that many organizations fail to make a real effort to become more inclusive… Read the full article.  

The Nonprofit Sector’s Board Diversity Problem

Dave Biemesderfer, Center for Effective Philanthropy, (Nov. 9, 2017) The nonprofit sector has a board diversity problem. A recent BoardSource report showed that nonprofit boards are no more racially and ethnically diverse than they were two decades ago and thatœcurrent recruitment priorities indicate this is unlikely to change. Read the full article.

Board Management Workshop: Is Your Board Structured for Impact?

The Editors, Nonprofit Quarterly (Oct 13, 2017) There are some real insights in BoardSource’s 2017 “Leading with Intent” study about what is happening in the structures of boards and what effect these changes are having. Read the full article.

Race Matters: Bringing a DEI Focus to the Boardroom

Makiyah Moody, La Piana Consulting (Nov. 2, 2017) Makiyah Moody, Senior Consultant at La Piana Consulting, writes how diversity, equity and inclusion is hard work requiring self-reflection, courage and action. Read the full article.

The First Contemporary Art Museum in Africa Is Run by White Men

Cyndi Suarez, Nonprofit Quarterly (Sept. 19, 2017) NPQ has written about the lack of diversity on the boards of U.S. nonprofits, a problem that is getting worse, according to the latest BoardSource report. Read the full article.

Podcast: The Evolution of the Barr Foundation

Nonprofit Quarterly (Sept. 22, 2017) In this interview with the Business of Giving, Jim Canales, president of the Barr Foundation and former Board member at BoardSource, discusses the organization’s evolution from an anonymous giving entity to a family foundation to a leading grant maker in New England with a focus on arts, energy and education…. Read more »

The Goldilocks Approach to Nonprofit Board Size: What Is “Just Right”?

Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly (Sept. 18, 2017) Among many interesting findings in BoardSource’s “Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices” report is a simple one on board size. Average board size has steadily declined over the past 20 years, as the chart below shows. It’s not clear whether this is due to… Read more »