Diversity of Nonprofit Boards in Nova Scotia and WI

Diversity of Nonprofit Boards in Nova Scotia and WI: Does it make a difference in organizational performance?

September 26, 2017
5:00-6:00 pm

  • Doug Ihrke, Professor, Public and Nonprofit Administration
  • Crystal Ellis, PhD Candidate, Africology

Nonprofit boards of directors face numerous pressures to increase their diversity for both political and economic reasons. Some funders require nonprofit boards to increase their diversity in order to receive funding. Many boards have a commitment to diversity because of the constituencies they serve. Yet there are many kinds of diversity beyond racial diversity and in this research, we use survey data from approximately 1600 board members in nonprofit organizations in Nova Scotia and Wisconsin to investigate the effects of different types of board member diversity, attitudes, and recruitment practices on board design, and how these factors affect governance practices and, ultimately, board performance.

UW-Milwaukee Alumni House
3230 E Kenwood Blvd