In many ways, diversity is about our ability to see and be seen, to hear and be heard—apart from the homogenous mass and overwhelming din of the dominant culture, in all our many distinct flavors. For the social sector, this becomes acutely relevant each Census year. “The count” is uniquely important not just for recognizing our diversity on a statistical or intellectual level, but for translating that into much-needed services and tangible resources. Nonprofits know from experience just how much is riding on our ability to be honest in quantifying who we are in order to meet the basic needs of our communities.
Creating space for emerging leaders to emerge
January 27th, 2010 by Bill CoyThis is my golden year. In some traditions when the year you were born coincides with your actual age, it is referred to as the “golden year.” Next month I will be 55 and, you guessed it, I was born in 1955.
But like most baby boomers, that number has no correlation to my self-perception. I am, in fact, wondering how a 32 year old man such as myself can actually have a 55th birthday.
This cognitive dissonance first surfaced about three years ago. My wife and I, with some friends, went to the Oakland Coliseum to see a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert. Prior to the start, I stand up, look around and am amazed by the crowd. “Who are all these old people, and why do they like my music?”
Cultural Diversity: Having a good picture of your clients
January 12th, 2010 by Luis VergaraI am currently working with a client who is looking to better target the Latino market. One of their two offices is in a city with a Latino majority (above 75%). The office staff speaks Spanish, and all their material is translated. Yet they know that to attract and keep their clients they need to go beyond translated materials and bilingual staff, and really understand who their clients are. I applaud them– it’s unfortunate that more nonprofits don’t think this way.
Nonprofit Leadership – The Future is Here
January 9th, 2010 by Melissa Mendes CamposIf you’re interested in the future of nonprofit leadership in its many diverse forms, Rosetta Thurman is a name you should really know. She has been a prolific blogger on next generation leadership and diversity in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector since 2007, and has been tapped as a speaker and presenter numerous times by those seeking to better understand the changing face of leadership in the social sector.
Evolving Through Bold Partnerships
December 16th, 2009 by Bob HarringtonPreparing for the future starts with re-thinking your present model for sustainability. While the prospect may not be staring you in the face, there are likely several interesting partnerships your organization could consider that would enable it to more effectively meet its mission – perhaps in ways you have not yet imagined.
Age of Innovation
November 24th, 2009 by Diane WongWhat image pops into your head when you think of the future and innovation? Do you think of someone young and hip playing with the latest electronic gadget? I can’t help but wonder if in our fast paced drive to look and move into the future that we often discount the important role and function of older Americans as critical participants and creators of that hip future.
Lessons From Gen Y, Implications for Us All
November 20th, 2009 by Melissa Mendes CamposThe nonprofit sector as a whole is underperforming in the area of talent management. Perhaps the greatest consequence of the chronic under-resourcing of organizational capacity is the failure to have more effectively developed our sector’s most valuable (and expensive) asset – our workforce. In a recent survey conducted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, 45% of nonprofit employees said they were considering jobs outside of the sector for their next positions.
“How diverse are we?” Nonprofit Diversity and a Call for Context
November 17th, 2009 by Melissa Mendes CamposThis month, the Urban Institute released its benchmark study of racial and ethnic diversity in California’s nonprofit sector. The overall findings are all too familiar. People of color remain underrepresented in nonprofit leadership, comprising 57% of the state’s population but holding only 25% of the executive director or CEO positions. Most notably, the researchers found that Latinos are the least well represented, holding fewer than 10% of nonprofit leadership positions while making up more than one-third of California’s overall population.
New Podcast: Diversity and Inclusion in the Nonprofit Sector
November 17th, 2009 by Alex HildebrandIn this podcast, Adrienne Mansanares (Program Officer at the Denver Foundation), Paul Schmitz (CEO of Public Allies), and Michael Watson (Senior VP of Human Resources for the Girl Scouts of the USA) discuss how issues of diversity and inclusion are playing out in the nonprofit sector, and how effective practices around diversity can help nonprofits position themselves for long-term success.
Listen to the Podcast with Adrienne Mansanares, Paul Schmitz, and Michael Watson and tell us what you think.
Leadership and innovation needed as we face the future
November 7th, 2009 by Alex HildebrandAs the 2009 Independent Sector/Council of Michigan Foundations annual conference wound down today, I marveled at the thematic unity that emerged about the future of the nonprofit sector: leadership, innovation, and respectful dialogue are critical competencies in supporting what is increasingly understood to be a necessary re-conceptualization of how we approach our work – especially in relation to other organizations and sectors.
