This new program connects racialized candidates with non-profit boards, aiming to root bias out of the process

Author Shannon VanRaes
In Toronto, racialized individuals make up 51.4 per cent of the population but hold only 16.2 per cent of board positions in the city’s non-profit sector

Why It Matters

Racialized people face entrenched bias when it comes to traditional methods of appointing board directors. Meanwhile, many non-profits disproportionately serve racialized communities. More racialized representation on boards, experts say, means better programming for these communities.


Photo: Charles Forerunner/ UpSplash

Lana Majid has always wanted to give back to her community in a particular way; serving on the board of a non-profit in the Greater Toronto Area.

“But I’ve always found it’s really difficult to navigate,” said Majid, a senior manager at an online healthcare provider, referring to the board application process. “Determining what content you need to know about boards, about governance, how to sort of up-skill yourself to make sure you’re prepared to do it, can be a challenge.”

She believes BoardShift, a new initiative aiming to connect governing boards with Indigenous, Black and racialized candidates, will help people like herself prepare for, and connect with, leadership positions.

“A lot of people we find as potential candidates are really ambitious, and they want to make a difference. We wan

 

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