\n\tUnfortunately, boards of directors in the for-profit sector are overwhelmingly homogenous, and are missing out on all of these business and social benefits despite increasing pressure from shareholders and investors to diversify. Women currently occupy only 18 percent of board seats at the biggest companies, and only 4 percent of board chairs are women. The stats for racial diversity are even more grim, with some studies showing that a mere 15 percent of board seats at the top 200 S&P 500 companies belong to racial minorities.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe nonprofit sector mirrors this lack of diversity at the board level. The percentage of people of color in nonprofit board seats has remained under 20 percent for the last 15 years. Unfortunately, there’s no sign of this changing, despite growing awareness of the strategic, financial, and social benefits of diversity.<\/p>\n

\n\tBoards that aren’t diverse aren’t completely fulfilling their responsibilities because they are not operating at full potential as a governing body. A commitment to diversity—and the action behind that commitment—must start at the top.<\/p>\n

\n\tMeeting the Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n