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.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"This new program connects racialized candidates with non-profit boards, aiming to root bias out of the process. 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. \u201cBut I\u2019ve always found it\u2019s really difficult to navigate,\u201d said Majid, a senior manager at an online healthcare provider, referring to the board application process. \u201cDetermining what content you need to know about boards, about governance, how to sort of up-skill yourself to make sure you\u2019re prepared to do it, can be a challenge.\u201d She believes BoardShift, a new initiative aiming to connect governing boards with Indigenous, Black

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