What It Takes to Achieve Diversity

To the Editor:

As a black professional who has served on the boards of a score of organizations in banking, philanthropy, higher education, the arts, and human services, I heartily applaud your special insert of September 17, “Achieving Diversity.”

From my vantage of some 40 years of board experience, I have come to the conclusion rather sadly that no single factor impedes any of the desired outcomes outlined in your special issue as much as the lack of board diversity does.

“Unintegrated” boards, which I would describe as those with only one or no black members, are simply unlikely to select black CEO’s. They are even less likely to know such candidates, and are far more likely to hire those in their own images. The kind of people like themselves, who for the most part think, act, and feel as they do and are familiar to them.

In fact, I can think of no greater obstacle to hiring minorities CEO’s than the boards empowered to choose or, as in most cases, not choose them.

Chief executives are critical to both staff and board diversity. We all know the primacy of their role and, black or white, without their explicit, overt support no staff or board ever moves toward racial fairness or any semblance of it.

The numbers of black trustees and directors remain woefully low and unable to promote change. We face a human deficit caused by the lack of democracy in our boardrooms. Your publication has brought attention to this gap and will hopefully increase awareness that can lead us to more black directors and in turn more black CEO’s.

John Morning
New York

To the Editor:

I commend The Chronicle of Philanthropy for the article “A Man’s World” (September 17), which provided results of a diversity survey of nonprofit leadership.

It is difficult to accurately assess progress in the nonprofit industry without informative data — so it is particularly helpful to have this information.

The fact that 6.3 percent of the Philanthropy 400 CEO’s are people of color versus 34.4 percent of the U.S. population presents an opportunity to close a significant talent gap.

The current recession is causing hardship across the nation. Nonprofits are facing declining revenue, layoffs, and the pressure to do more with less. The author Jim Collins and several national studies have confirmed that talent is the most significant determinant of an organization’s success.

Studies also show that diverse teams — managed effectively — produce better and more creative solutions to problems. This makes it more important than ever to have the most talented and diverse staff possible.

The nonprofit sector cannot achieve the best results for the nation without full access to the most talented members from every segment of the labor force.

If we wait until the recession is over, nonprofits will face increased competition for talent from corporations and the government, so now is the time for nonprofit boards and CEO’s to develop and implement strategies to recruit and develop diverse talent.

Michael Watson
Senior Vice President for Human Resources
Girl Scouts of the USA
New York

To the Editor:

With regard to my opinion article on diversity and philanthropy (“How Foundations Can Do the Most to Advance the Needs of Minorities,” September 17) there is an important clarification needed regarding our position on the collection of race and ethnicity data by grant makers.

First, while the California Endowment is opposed to legislative measures that mandate the collection of such data, we encourage and support voluntary efforts to collect race and ethnicity data by grant makers. These data can be helpful in assessing progress toward diversity goals.

But philanthropic institutions should not assume that the collection of such data serves as a proxy for meaningful results and improvements in civic well-being for communities of color (or ethnic minorities).

Robert K. Ross
Chief Executive
The California Endowment
Los Angeles