RESEARCH
FOR ACTION
2020
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Click here to read the executive summary
The Women’s Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (WNLI) and Nonprofit Issues have jointly published a new national study of gender diversity on the boards of major nonprofit educational and healthcare institutions. The report – Increasing Gender Diversity on the Boards of Nonprofit Eds and Meds: Why and How to Do It – is based on in-depth confidential interviews with 59 ed and med board members and institutional leaders (chairs and chief executives) in 14 states and the District of Columbia, representing every region of the United States. This qualitative study explores the reasons behind the numbers reported in WNLI’s earlier report (with La Salle University and its Nonprofit Center) and recommends strategies for changing the numbers.
Click here to access a Ready Reference Page about the report from Nonprofit Issues.
Click here for the Press Release
Praise For Our Study
Female former college/university president and university board member: “Lots of interesting insights here, especially the ways in which nonprofit boards have their own exclusionary factors — expectation of giving, work through the executive committee because of the size of the board, etc. I had not thought of these factors even though I’ve spent most of my life participating in nonprofit boards, one way or another.”
Female former board chair of academic medical center health system: “This extensive report provides evidence that when board leadership values diversity of skills, experience, age, geography, and points of view, they have a better opportunity to create a gender and racially diverse board.”
Male college faculty member, and former faculty president: “This serious study, and its major conclusions, deserve wide attention from the current gatekeepers of America’s Eds and Meds.”
Female healthcare system board leader: “I can state quite surely that the report and the visibility it received was an accelerator and a call to action for our board.”
Male university board chair: “I very much agree with your conclusions and hope your results will help folks make real progress.”
Female healthcare executive, faculty member, and member of corporate and nonprofit boards: “I enjoyed reading this report. It is comprehensive, informative and clearly written. One surprising finding to me, although it shouldn’t of been, was that consumers have a role to play and don’t appreciate it.”
Female university board chair: “This report convincingly shows that institutional leaders must intentionally pursue greater diversity on their boards. It’s just not going to happen automatically. Our boards need to “look” more like the populations we serve.”
2019
Click here to read the full report
Click here to read the executive summary
The Women’s Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (WNLI) and The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University’s School of Business, are proud to announce the release of the first census of women board members of the 50 largest medical and educational institutions in Greater Philadelphia. The Gender Gap in Nonprofit Boardrooms is the first in-depth analysis of gender diversity on the boards of these major regional nonprofit institutions.
This research launches the first of what we hope will be a triennial look at the gender and racial composition of the boards of the largest 25 healthcare and 25 largest higher education nonprofits in our region. We want to encourage these 50 premiere nonprofit organizations, as well as all nonprofits in the region, regardless of budget and mission, to move to a gender and racial balance that is reflective of their constituencies and the larger communities of which they are a part.
RELATED RESOURCES
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Silbert, Andrea, and Christy Mach Dubé. February 2021. The Power Gap Among TopEarners
at America’s Elite Universities. Eos Foundation. Click Here
The Forum of Executive Women. Women in Leadership 2021: A Status Report on Women
Leaders in Corporate Boardrooms and Executive Offices. Click Here
The Boston Club Nonprofit Board Census (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019). Click Here
Castillo, Elizabeth. 2018. Why are we still struggling with diversity, equity, and inclusion in
nonprofit governance? Nonprofit Quarterly. Click Here
Catalyst. 1 August 2018. “Quick Take: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter.” Click Here
Hunt, Vivian, Lareina Yee, Sara Prince, and Sundiatu Dixon- Fyle. 2018. Delivering through
diversity. McKinsey & Company. Click Here
National Council of Nonprofits. Diversity on Nonprofit Boards. Click Here
Scaccetti, J., Marrazzo, B. (2015, April 24) Local Boards Must Push for Gender Diversity.
Philadelphia Inquirer. Click Here
Shankie, Erin. 21 January 2015. Women in Power–Or, Not So Much: Gender in the Nonprofit
Sector. Nonprofit Quarterly. Click Here