108: The Rewards & Challenges of Nonprofit Board Diversity - Part 1
Release Date: 11/25/2019
Episode 209 - Becoming an Architect of the Volunteer Experience
Time + Talent Podcast
Faiza Venzant used to focus on the paperwork and processes of managing volunteers in her work with the YMCA of Greater Toronto. But she doesn't do that anymore - she's shifted how she sees her work and the role she plays within her organization, and it's changed her whole approach to volunteer engagement!
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Episode 208 - Transforming Your Volunteer Strategy from the Ground Up
Time + Talent Podcast
SOAR365 (formerly the Greater Richmond Arc) was founded 65 years ago by parents determined to find new and different ways to support their children with disabilities. The agency provides a range of services and employment opportunities for people of all ages with a wide range of abilities.
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Episode 207 - Corporate Social Responsibility Its a Two-Way Street
Time + Talent Podcast
In the past, Voya Financial’s Employee Volunteer Program was similar to many - legacy events that were uninspired and unfocused. But not anymore.
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Episode 206 - Strengthening the Impact of Young Professional Volunteers
Time + Talent Podcast
Like many organization’s Habitat for Humanity, NYC has faced challenges when tapping into the time and talent of young professionals, but Ricardo Sebastian seems to have found the secret to success!
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Episode 205 - Digital Transformation as the New Normal - Moving Mentoring Online
Time + Talent Podcast
Oasis Institute is the largest intergenerational K-3 mentoring program in the nation with 83 school districts and 4000 tutors. I the past, all tutoring took place in person before COVID-19 required a pivot.
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Episode 204 - Building Community Together - Online & During a Pandemic
Time + Talent Podcast
Cedars has been supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1919. Their residential and day programs are known for creating a life-affirming, loving environment in which participants are able to live creative, productive, and joyous lives.
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Episode 203 - Dignity & Respect Extends to Volunteers Too
Time + Talent Podcast
Metrocrest Services in the greater Dallas Area provides food and support services to 600-800 clients a week. While they had a diverse clientele, volunteers came from the surrounding suburbs and didn’t reflect the diverse community they served.
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Episode 202 - The Hard Truth: Diversity & Inclusion from the Volunteer Perspective
Time + Talent Podcast
After decades as a leader of volunteers for high-profile national charities in the UK, Helen Timbrell switched gears to work as an organizational development consultant and coach.
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Episode 201 - Welcome to Season 2!
Time + Talent Podcast
What do you get when you interview a slate of talented leaders of volunteers and nonprofits professionals who understand the power of community? You get Season 2 of the Time + Talent podcast!
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109: The Rewards & Challenges of Nonprofit Board Diversity - Part 2
Time + Talent Podcast
In Part 2 of this interview, Dabash Negash from NYC Service shares practical ideas for starting a conversation and setting some goals and practices to help your organization understand and achieve better Board diversity, equity and inclusion. She also shares the ABCs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. If you missed Episode 108, you can hear her discuss the results and findings from their survey and report on Board diversity in New York City.
info_outlineIn 2018 NYC Service partnered with the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee to conduct a survey on nonprofit board diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gaps, strategies, recommendations and resources.
The full report on their findings entitled What Lies Beneath: The State of NYC Nonprofit Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can be found HERE.
In this episode, Dabash Nagash joins us to talk about the survey, the report, and what they learned. She’ll discuss ways to put the results into action in Episode 109.
NYC Service really sees Board members and Board service as a key way that volunteers can share their time and talent and they convened the NYC Nonprofit Board Development Coalition. One of the priorities they identified was diversity, equity and inclusion.
There are 5 big takeaways from the report:
- NYC Boards are not adequately diverse, over 50% of respondents reported that Board members do not reflect the community being served.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion is agreed to be important, but it’s not being addressed effectively and organizations are not satisfied with their work in this direction.
- Representation in leadership matters. More diverse Boards and executive leadership have more diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
- Fear of change is pervasive on Boards, and complacency prevents Boards from taking action around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Boards may be perpetuating harmful biases. While focusing on socio-economic policies like give/get may not prevent diversity on Boards on its own, it can be a factor.
In Part 2 Dabash discusses steps organizations can take to address some of these takeaways.
Guest Bio:
Dabash Negash
Chief of Staff
NYC Service, Office of the Mayor
Dabash Negash is the Chief of Staff at NYC Service, a division of the Office of the Mayor that builds partnerships to deepen and expand civic engagement through volunteer and service programs, creating sustainable change for our city’s greatest needs. Dabash oversees all of capacity building initiatives at NYC Service and recently published a report on Nonprofit Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in NYC last Fall, in partnership with Nonprofit New York. Prior to joining the Office of the Mayor, Dabash served as Deputy Director of the Fund for Public Advocacy, supported several political campaigns, and worked in the Obama Administration supporting operations.
You can find Dabash on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dabash-negash-51a04882/