7 Must Answer Questions for Nonprofits Preparing for Board & Executive Leadership Diversity

​As we reflect on a truly transformational 2020, the increased focus on race, social justice, and the impact of Black Lives Matter in our community, many of our clients and partners are continuing their own journey and growth in building toward a racially equitable workplace and society.  The work is hard and uncomfortable, and progress will be made incrementally with challenges along the way. 

As Valtas partners with its nonprofit clients and their boards, many ask about hiring and developing leaders of color to help them further their mission.   In addition, boards are also focusing on diversifying their own ranks and struggle with how to best recruit BIPOC candidates to their board.

In our role as executive search partners and interim executive directors, we find that helping clients ASK the right questions, at the right time, is as important as the answers themselves.   Bringing a nonprofit board together, with 20 or more people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences can be difficult and uncomfortable for many.  We encourage boards to get comfortable being uncomfortable, knowing that collectively wrestling with these questions is a great place to begin or continue a journey towards equity.

Before boards start the hiring or recruiting process with an emphasis on identifying BIPOC candidates, Valtas encourages its clients to ask some key questions and get clear about the answers.  Candidates for board or leadership roles in your organization will want to understand where the board and the staff are on their equity journey and what role they are being asked to take on in that process.  

Here’s a great place to start your discussions BEFORE preparing to launch an executive search or board recruiting effort.   

1.  What is your ‘why’?

What is motivating you, as an organization, to undertake this effort? Make sure you have clarity about what is compelling you to devote the time and resources to make these changes. 

2.  What does diversity mean to THIS organization?

If you do not have a clear idea about what you mean by diversity, how will you decide what steps to take to achieve it? Remember, ‘diverse’ is a word used to describe a group of people, not a single individual. Your ultimate goals for diversity should be articulated in those terms.

3.  Is diversity part of your organization’s strategic plan, business plan, and or overall organizational priorities?

Are you contemplating making changes because it feels like the thing to do RIGHT NOW, or is this part of a long-term sustained effort designed to reshape the organization for the future? What needs to be put in place to foster and nurture long-term impact?

4.  Does the diversity that you seek help you reflect the clients that you are serving? 

This is a quite common observation that we hear from clients. At both the board and staff level, they want to see more representation from the communities that make up the majority of the people they serve.

5.Are you willing to add more than one person at a time to add diversity to your board or organization?

There is a growing body of evidence that shows that adding a cohort of people at, or close to, the same time helps support retention – whether on staff or the board. Make sure your onboarding systems are in place to ensure that new staff and board members get the information they need in a timely fashion, and that relationships get formed early. Consider a mentoring program or partnering existing staff or board members with new people.
​
6.What on-going efforts are you considering to retain diverse talent within your organization?

Adding new people to your staff or board is only one step toward building more diversity. Are all of your internal policies and procedures inclusive and equitable? Are you prepared to respond constructively to input or feedback from new staff or board members that are critical of existing practices? Is there a clearly understood process for providing this feedback? Have you worked with exiting staff and board members to help them understand and recognize implicit bias?

7.How are you going to measure your success?
​
Part of this will be evident as you observe changes in the demographic make-up of both your staff and board. What else are you trying to achieve? Identify a list of criteria at the outset. Create a dashboard to display the organization’s performance relative to these criteria. Create a schedule of regular check-ins for the staff and board to review progress toward achieving these goals. And do not forget to allocate funding in your budget to hire professional services to help guide you through the journey.

​The Valtas Group team is connected to a number of amazing professional services consultants with deep diversity, equity, and inclusion experience.  We strive to consciously and insightfully bring the right professionals executives to the table to help your organization begin or continue the discussions that will help you be better prepared to identify, hire, support and help a new CEO/Executive Director, or board members thrive.