Encountering resistance to diversity initiatives in philanthropy is challenging, but it's crucial to persist. Here are strategies to address board member concerns:
- Present data-driven evidence of the benefits of diversity, such as increased innovation and broader community impact.
- Engage in open dialogues, listening actively to concerns and addressing them constructively.
- Introduce diversity training programs to educate and facilitate understanding among board members.
How have you successfully navigated pushback in your organization?
It is important for boards to reflect the stakeholder audience they serve. This helps the full board understand their stakeholders while also allowing individual members to be ambassadors. Consider some of the following to assist your board of directors in diversifying the board and initiatives: - Share stakeholder demographics with the board and request that the board define a matrix for board recruitment. The matrix will show the gaps and assist the board in the recruiting process. - Engage peer to peer opportunities for the board -- for providing education, sharing diverse perspectives, etc... - Encourage the board to incorporate diversity in the strategic plan including goals for including reviewing documents for inclusive language.