ProInspire Lends Voice to Groundbreaking Report on Nonprofit Talent Diversity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2014
ProInspire Lends Voice to Groundbreaking Report on Nonprofit Talent Diversity
Founder and CEO Monisha Kapila joined other American Express NGen Fellows to develop a roadmap for increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the sector
ProInspire founder and CEO Monisha Kapila collaborated with her cohort of 2013 American Express NGen Fellows to analyze the obstacles to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the nonprofit sector and identify a path for improvement. The culmination of this effort is a groundbreaking report, Strategies for Talent Diversity, which outlines both short-term wins and long-term adaptive changes that will enhance diversity throughout the sector. The NGen Fellows partnered with the National Audubon Society to understand their challenges in creating a more diverse organization as a springboard for the report.
Most nonprofits struggle with increasing racial and ethnic diversity and creating an inclusive environment. Despite good intentions and a stated commitment to diversity, leaders have faced challenges to recruit, retain, and advance persons of color. While almost 9 out of 10 nonprofit employees believe their organization values diversity, more than 70% believe their employer does not do enough to create a diverse and inclusive work environment. The Fellows’ research found that employers who want to increase diversity feel overwhelmed by the perceived financial and human capital resources needed to achieve diversity goals. These findings exposed the need for a roadmap with clearly defined and attainable strategies for increasing racial and ethnic diversity.
In their roadmap, NGen Fellows outline five dimensions of increased staff diversity and inclusion: pipeline; recruitment and hiring; retention and development; capabilities and culture; and employer brand. Within each dimension, there exist both short-term and long-term opportunities to increasing diversity, several of which don’t require large investments or changes to infrastructure. These ‘quick win’ strategies, spanning three levels (internal, network, and external), support both immediate diversity gains and the broader adaptive changes needed to sustain improvements. For example, within the pipeline dimension, employers can target job boards and attend university job fairs that attract diverse candidates.
“I’m thrilled with the results of our collaborative efforts and hope it will help fuel a shift towards greater racial and ethnic diversity in the nonprofit sector,” said Monisha Kapila. “Increasing diversity is a core component of ProInspire’s mission to develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders. We have supported our nonprofit partners with attracting, retaining, and developing persons of color through the ProInspire Fellowship and Managing for Success programs. As part of the American Express NGen Fellows project, I had the opportunity to better understand challenges facing nonprofits and develop a an actionable path toward specific improvements in diversity measures and a broader culture of inclusion.”
Click here to read the entire report.
About ProInspire
Founded in 2009, with offices in Washington, DC and the San Francisco Bay Area, ProInspire is a nonprofit dedicated to developing leaders and catalyzing outstanding performance within the social sector. ProInspire recruits and trains young professionals to achieve their potential for social impact. The organization’s flagship program, the ProInspire Fellowship, offers exceptional young business professionals a one-year Fellowship at a leading nonprofit, along with training, coaching, and career support. Building on the success of the Fellowship model, ProInspire recently expanded its offering with the Managing for Success program. This innovative program seeks to fill the void in professional development opportunities for early- to mid-career nonprofit managers with interactive workshops, peer support, and mentoring opportunities designed to sharpen managerial skills and enhance effectiveness in a nonprofit role.
For more information about ProInspire, including information on program applications, please visit proinspire.wpengine.com.
About the NGen Fellows Program
The American Express NGen Fellows Program was established in 2009 as an Independent Sector initiative to honor and connect leaders age 40 and under at IS member organizations. This fellowship is a part of IS’s NGen: Moving Nonprofit Leaders from Next to Now program, which is designed to expand and develop the nonprofit talent pool’s leadership skills and practices and to strengthen the networks of nonprofit leaders age 40 and under.