By Debbie Swanson, CFRE
IDEA Committee Chair

A November 2020 study in the Nonprofit Times shows that while most nonprofits have much to say about increasing the diversity of their leadership, very little has been done to actually make that happen.

When compared to a similar study done in 2016, there are severe drops in confidence of non-white, non-traditional sexuality in having skills or interest to be a leader in a nonprofit. More people of color are leaving the nonprofit sector to pursue work in the for-profit world. The increase of mentorships for white traditional nonprofit worker still far outpaces mentorships for those of color or differing gender or sexual identities.

Here's the kicker: A third of those who represent a different color or sexuality are usually called upon to represent organizations in the community, to show the DEI efforts of the organization. It’s a major source of frustration. And it sucks away good talent from the organization. Most telling is the statistic that 42% of people of color had less desire to work in white-dominant organizations. That statistic grew to 58% in 2019.

“Race equity isn’t a problem you solve,” says Frances Kunreuther, co-director of the Building Movement Project. “Race equity is not a checklist. It is a change in culture and practices — who has power, who has say in organizations, how they operate. If you are not making those changes, it does not matter that you are saying all these things.”

Indeed, if we are not changing the paradigm of how we see diversity, equity, and inclusion as it fits in our organizations, we are not doing the actual work of DEI.

Read the full article here: https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/hr/dei-efforts-within-nonprofits-lag-in-practice/#