The Nonprofit Finance Fund released its annual survey of 4,500 nonprofits last month. Despite an economy that appears to be improving (albeit in fits and starts), the situation facing nonprofits is gloomy in some respects. Eighty-five percent experienced an increase in demand in 2011 (compared with 77 percent in 2010); at the same time, over half said they only had cash on hand for 3 months or less. The situation is especially dire for health and human service providers that rely heavily on government funds.
On a more positive note, the study found that half of all nonprofits hired staff for new positions in the last 12 months. In addition, 46 percent made replacement hires. From my vantage point, these facts represent a prime opportunity to square our work force in ways that better represent the mosaic of people who reflect the essence of America’s vitality. There is a strong business case to be made – particularly in difficult times – for hiring more people of color, LGBT populations, and people with disabilities as well as individuals from other sectors:
1. A diverse workforce is able to better meet the needs of multicultural communities.
By 2042, our country will be minority-majority. How can we, as a country, expect to understand our collective problems or achieve our shared dreams if we don’t understand each other’s cultures or appreciate each other’s perspectives?
2. A diverse workforce positions organizations to better meet shifting demographic trends.
Millennials (people born between 1981-1999) are “more diverse than any preceding generation, with many more young people of color, first- and second-generation immigrants and mixed-race individuals.” How many countless opportunities might we miss if we fail to tap into the new ideas and skills of young workers?¹
3. A diverse workforce promotes the kind of innovation borne of a myriad of different perspectives.
A mix of people with different ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, cultures, and sexual orientations lends itself to an environment that fosters creative and broad thinking.
In last month’s blog, Luz Vega-Marquis of the Marguerite Casey Foundation eloquently called for diversifying the philanthropic community. I’m calling for much of the same in the nonprofit world beginning with our boards, continuing with our staff, and pushing still further with our venders and volunteers. During challenging times, our sector can ill afford a workforce that does not mirror the heterogeneous composition of our nation or is ill prepared to capitalize on the demographic shifts underway. At the very least, we owe it to ourselves to reflect the full diversity of the stakeholders we serve through our programs.
As a way to enact our ideals, Independent Sector has adopted a written pledge to honor diversity and inclusion. We go to lengths to recruit diverse staff for every position opening and we’ve made good strides in hiring people of color. (We are close to but not fully reflective of the ethnic diversity in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia that constitutes our recruitment pool, but we are doing better than national average.) Last week, I had lunch with IS staff who were born in or have family ties to Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. We also have staff members who are first or second generation immigrants from Hungary, India, Mexico, Philippines, and Scotland. In addition to global perspectives, IS benefits from the insights of employees who range in age from 22 to 63. We have also welcomed veterans and others from outside the sector. And finally, we believe diversity practices shouldn’t be limited to hiring decisions. Instead, we embrace inclusion on our project teams, in training opportunities, among the staff council, and in other forums. We still have much work to do, but our board and staff are deeply committed to creating a diverse workforce.
As a sector, we owe it to ourselves to create a climate within our organizations that respects and encourages difference. Inclusivity is, after all, part of our sector’s DNA. It can be traced through our storied history of honoring marginalized people. I am proud to be part of this tradition – and I imagine you are too, not only in name, but also in deed.
_____
¹ Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector. November 2009. The James Irvine Foundation.
