We believe that it’s imperative that nonprofits strive to embrace the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in their operations and governance. This starts with the board of directors. If you are looking to build a board that reflects DEIB, here are a few suggestions.

Use a variety of recruitment methods. Don’t just rely on word-of-mouth and friends of board members. Create a board member job description and post it on your website, share it with adjacent communities and organizations, and use social media and other online channels to spread the word about your board openings. LinkedIn is often an untapped tool to reach professionals and leverage stakeholders in select industries.

Be intentional about diversity. Don’t just think about race, religion, age, and/or professional experience. Make sure you’re also considering people with different perspectives, backgrounds, and interests. Be sensitive and let the person know that you are interested in learning more about them, not judging them.

As part of your interview process, ask candidates if they or a loved-one has a “lived experience” related to your cause or community. You may be inspired by what attracted them to you!

Create a welcoming and inclusive environment. Once you’ve recruited a diverse group of board members, it’s important to create an environment where everyone feels like they belong and can make an impact. Consider appointing a board mentor especially for first-time board members.

Be mindful of your language and behavior and make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in board discussions, decision-making, and committees. Create an environment of openness.

Provide ongoing training and support. It’s important to provide your board members with workshops, briefings, and communication, so they can be enthusiastic and comfortable ambassadors of your work. Trainings could cover topics such as unconscious bias, DEIB, as well as board governance, advocacy, storytelling, and fundraising. Increasing shared experiences and hearing multiple voices are critical to promoting equity.

Welcome conflict. Always question if your organization and board’s actions cultivate an inclusive culture. Champion challenging conversations and address issues of racial and structural inequity within your board, your organization, and through your organization’s work.

Here are some resources that can help you recruit diverse board members and maintain equitable board practices:

• The Nonprofit Board Diversity Lab is a free online website that provides tools and training to help nonprofits recruit and retain diverse board members. Learn about its low-cost, self-paced online course.
• The National Council of Nonprofit Associations offers a variety of information on board diversity, including a webinar series and a blog.
• The BoardSource Center for Board Diversity provides expertise and support to help nonprofits increase the diversity of their boards.
• Cause Strategy Partners offers #BoardLead—a free board matching service—and they recently launched a Board Fellowship for BIPOC community and business leaders eager to share their wisdom and perspective in the nonprofit boardroom. Our world is a better place when we are open to diversity.
• BoardStrong provides a free board matching portal and an online self-assessment tool related to DEIB, and a toolkit.

By following this advice and using these resources, we hope that you will #buildabetterboard that has a culture of belonging and maintain inclusive board practices. This will help your organization to be more effective in its work, and it will also help to build trust and credibility with your community.

What Our Clients Are Saying

“Claudia brought enormous passion, energy, leadership, and insight to the Youth Communication community in her time as our interim executive director. She navigated hiring and organizational restructuring, radically advanced our development and marketing efforts, and helped us launch our growth capital campaign, among many other things. Our staff and board are incredibly grateful for the stability and electric energy she brought at an uncertain time.” – Betsy Cohen, Youth Communication, executive director

Source: Photo by Tim Mossholder and Amy Elting on Unsplash