Beware potential pitfalls of dual roles for board member attorneys

• Published date: 01 August 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30341
• Date: 01 August 2017

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(See PITFALLS on page 2)

Study nds systemic bias

hindering leadership diversity

A new report from the Building Movement

Project and the Annie E. Casey Foundation argues

that nonprots must focus on addressing systemic

bias if the sector wants to close the leadership gap,

where just 20 percent of nonprot CEOs are people

of color.

The report, surveyed some 4,400 nonprot em-

ployees and found that whites and people of color

had similar educational backgrounds, qualica-

tions, experience, training and leadership skills. But

people of color were more likely to see themselves

as “visionary,” able to relate to their organization’s

constituents and interested in becoming a nonprot

CEO or executive director.

Considering these ndings—that the two groups

had similar qualications but people of color had

more aspirations for leadership positions—the re-

searchers suggested that the diversity leadership gap

was due to people of color facing unique challenges

and being held to different standards.

People of color reported a perception that they

lacked leadership abilities, had inadequate support

from human resources and/or were excluded from

important social networks.

In addition, many indicated a wariness to work-

ing in white-dominant organizations, said that they

often needed more skills and training than whites

to be considered for leadership positions and noted

that organizations led by people of color have a

harder time fundraising.

To read the study in full, visit http://bit.ly/

2sGyxHr. ■

Beware potential pitfalls of dual roles

for board member attorneys

siderations for board members who are practicing

attorneys and thinking of serving in a legal capacity

for their organizations. They include:

The wealth of knowledge and expertise attorneys

have to offer makes them prized as nonprot board

members. After all, the law is complicated and law-

yers are expensive. Having someone that can offer

pro bono or discounted advice into even simple legal

matters—for example, how to attain a zoning vari-

ance for the construction of a new headquarters—is

of great value to nonprots.

But for board member attorneys and nonprots

alike, such situations present a slew of complica-

tions, and it’s best to understand how they will be

addressed before nonprots avail themselves of this

valuable resource, according to Michele Berger, an

attorney at San Francisco–based NEO Law Group.

In presentations on this topic given in venues such

as the Bar Association of San Francisco, Berger’s

rm has laid out some of the most signicant con-

Vol. 335 August 2017