We advocate for diverse governing boards in two critical nonprofit sectors –
higher education and healthcare institutions
Our country’s largest nonprofit organizations – higher education and healthcare institutions—serve an increasingly diverse population and have a major impact on those they serve, those they employ, and on their communities. These stakeholders, who have an interest in and are affected by the leadership decisions of the so-called eds and meds, must have their needs and perspectives represented among those who make critical decisions, starting at the top with governing boards. This is not only a matter of equity. It is a crucial factor in boards making good decisions and governing effectively.
Unfortunately, the majority of board seats of too many of these critical institutions do not reflect the diversity of their stakeholders, and most stakeholders are not aware of the serious gender and racial gaps on these boards because accurate information on board demographics is generally not publicly available.
The explicit responsibility of governance calls for board leadership to assess who’s missing from the board.
WNLI Advocates
Board gender and racial diversity that reflects stakeholders, improves board decision making and produces better outcomes. Equity starts at the top and strengthens governance. WNLI is standing up for:
Significantly increasing the representation and diversity of women on the governing boards of the largest and most influential nonprofits: eds and meds, and expanding women’s influence and formal leadership on these boards.
Increased scrutiny and accountability of boards by those who are served and are impacted by their decisions and enabling public access to information about board demographic composition.