Nonprofits Boards Are Very Rich And Very White

Nonprofit boards seem to be more eager than in years past to advocate on behalf of the organizations they represent. But who exactly is doing that lobbying, which can set standards for how social missions are structured and who in the community becomes involved, is still troubling–as in, everyone is white.

That’s two of the key findings in Leading with Intent, a new report about board compensation, practices, and performance and culture by BoardSource, a nonprofit working to improve governance within the sector.

When BoardSource surveyed over 1,750 executives within the industry, it found that 90 percent of all nonprofit CEOs are white, as are 84 percent of board members. That’s up from its 2015 findings, which were 89 percent and 80 percent respectively. Overall, within that time frame the total number of all-white boards rose too, from 25 percent to 27 percent, despite the fact that many leaders are clearly dissatisfied with the imbalance.

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Ben Paynter, Fast Company