May 2008: Volume 5

Take a good look at the composition of the board of directors for your organization. What do you see? Chances are you see a lot of people who look like you. Unfortunately they may also think like you. Please don’t take offense at that statement -- it is not a judgment on your mental aptitude or capacity. You may have great ideas and be a dynamic leader. Rather it is an observation that too often boards of grassroots organizations attract people who have more similarities than differences. They may also be good friends and supporters of the executive director or founder of the organization. Frankly, this has the potential to cause a multitude of problems that increased diversity could prevent.

This month we explore the types of diversity and provide a few tips to help you design diversity into your governing board:

• Assess the diversity of your existing board.
• Access demographic data.
• Identify gaps or imbalances.
• Appoint a task force.
• Identify community resources.