A strong Board is crucial to the success of a nonprofit. Boards serve to protect the agency by overseeing governance, raising money, and supporting strategic planning. Without a strong Board ready and able to serve in a challenging environment, the agency is likely to fail.
While many Board members have their hearts in the right place and fully believe in the mission of their organizations, Boards also need to reflect diversity in several aspects:
- Mix of backgrounds and skill sets of the individuals who serve
- Inclusion of community voices both in terms of the broader environment and the specific clients that are served
- Demographic diversity, for example, ethnicity, religion, gender, and abilities
- Industries that the Board members represent to tap into a broader range of opportunities
MNC knows that strong Boards are the backbone to building fundraising cultures. We help to ensure Board Diversity in several ways, for example:
- Reviewing current demographic mix of Board members and identifying target populations to consider the next time that a slot needs to be filled
- Establishing Advisory and Junior Boards to fill the need to include different voices and ensure that the Board serves the community
- Identifying ways that a Board can leverage its diversity in fundraising and outreach efforts
- Engaging the creation of diversity statements in support of the agency’s mission
- Facilitating Board discussions about the very real need for diversity throughout the organization