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04/02/2019

First Steps to More Diverse Boards

A new study says boards are slow to pursue diversity, inclusion efforts

When people say that conversations about diversity start at the top, they usually mean the CEO. But the thing about associations is that there are two tops to consider—the staff leader and the board. Without the board’s own awareness of diversity and inclusion issues, support for D+I from the CEO to staff and members risks withering.

That’s one key conclusion from a recent report from the executive recruiting firm Koya Leadership Partners. In “The Governance Gap: Examining Diversity and Equity on Nonprofit Boards of Directors," the study’s authors draw a direct line from board diversity to diversity throughout an organization.

“Time and again, our board clients tell us that it’s critically important to build a diverse pool of candidates and that they want to hire a CEO or executive director who is representative of diversity in some way,” says the report, which is based on a survey of members of 102 nonprofit boards. “But we’ve seen how difficult it is for boards and organizations that aren’t diverse or inclusive to recruit and retain leaders of color.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.

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