Member Spotlight: The New Philanthropists
In 2021, BoardSource published a report, “Leading with Intent”, that revealed nationally 78% of nonprofit board members reported as Caucasian. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, at least 60% of nonprofits serve people of color. This diversity gap has existed for generations and affects communities of color, being served by nonprofits, in significant ways. Despite the magnitude of the problem, The New Philanthropists (TNP) knows there is a better way forward.
Since the launch of TNP in 2018, the team has been encouraged by the community’s response to our mission; build a pipeline to leadership for people of color, cultivate diversity, equity and inclusion among mainstream nonprofit boards, and enable nonprofits to be more effective stewards of public trust and produce better outcomes for the people they serve. We’ve had significant interest from people across the Austin community – from young professionals to experienced board members, nonprofits and membership organizations.
Our comprehensive approach addresses structural racism head-on by advancing equity in social sector leadership and achieving better community outcomes. TNP is addressing the leadership gap that exists in Austin by developing community-wide programs that bridge leaders of color with nonprofit, social service agency boards.
To understand the full impact of our work, it's important to understand the institutional racism and barriers embedded within nonprofits which have been structured to "serve" predominantly low-income, communities of color while placing predominantly wealthy white people in leadership positions that are accountable for fundraising and governance for these organizations.
As a result of decades of this structural exclusion of people of color at the board level, many nonprofits, at the local, state, and national levels, do not reflect the diversity or demographics of the communities that they serve. This results in decision-making that usually does not reflect the needs of these communities and/or does not consider the nuances of their lived experiences when making important decisions about programs, budgets and services. Our vision is to help organizations best serve communities through board service that is inclusive, insightful, and that governs through an equitable perspective. We uphold this framework through our guiding principles:
Valuing the Whole Person: People representing racial and ethnic groups have valuable lived experiences and contributions to bring to the organization, and board norms that have prohibited this need to be disrupted.
Change takes work: Creating cultural shifts on nonprofit boards take time and commitment, and all board members are accountable for their own DEI journey.
Relationships Matter: Effective board recruitment has always relied on authentic relationships, and that holds true for prospects of color.
Community Impact
As of 2022 TNP has:
Identified over 571 board prospects of color through our recruitment efforts.
Matched 38 leaders of color to 30 nonprofits in Austin through the Board Matching Program, and in 2022 74% of applicants were placed on nonprofit boards.
Connected 41 mentors with 201 mentees of color in our Board Mentors of Color Program.
Hosted 27 equity workshops with 323 participants in our Equity Chair Workshop Series.
Worked with over 60 nonprofits on their DEI Journey through TNP’s First Look Board Diversity Assessment Program and Diversity & Inclusion Planning Program.
Amplify Impact: How Mission Capital Supports this Organization?
Mission Capital has been a great partner in supporting TNP through professional development courses and raising awareness on the importance of diversifying nonprofit boards. We recommend that members take part in the continuous learning opportunities that Mission Capital offers, and have had our own board members participate in their trainings.
Get Involved
TNP's programming is centered on creating sustainable cultural shifts on boards and providing the support and access that leaders of color need to be successful board members. We execute our approach in three areas of impact:
Leadership Development: We provide DEI training and programming to help leaders and allies navigate through nonprofit boards with leadership development strategies and influential support
Nonprofit Boards: We provide DEI assessment and diversity planning programming to help nonprofit boards change the culture of their boards and reach their DEI initiatives
Board Placement: We provide placement opportunities for nonprofit boards and board prospects that focus on meaningful connections and are founded on authentic relationship building strategies
To see upcoming events and offerings from TNP, visit their Eventbrite page, join the e-list, or follow them on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
A special thank you to Paulina Artieda, Executive Director at The New Philanthropists, for spending time with us to bring you this spotlight. For more information about TNP, check out their website.