Building Board Diversity FAQ
When did this initiative launch?
The Building Board Diversity Task Force launched in 2018 and the Building Board Diversity Pledge launched in September 2020.
Who created the commitment?
The commitment was created by a volunteer task force of the Sangamon County community which included organizations such as Forefront, United Way of Central Illinois, Horace Mann Insurance, and the Land of Lincoln Community Foundation.
What is the vision for Building Board Diversity?
Our vision is to create a culture of diversity in the nonprofit community, where boards assess their make-up and policies to reach their full potential of impacting the areas they serve, and employers are actively committed to nonprofit board engagement.
Why is my organization asked to provide demographic information for its board members or employees involved in nonprofit engagement?
In order to measure success, we must know where we started and how we have improved. A level of transparency is needed to fully embrace diversity and close the gaps that currently exist.
What happens to the demographic information I share?
Building Board Diversity will only share aggregate information for all signatories combined. We will not disclose individual board demographics or business information externally for any reason.
My organization does not currently capture demographic information, how should I go about getting this information?
Building Board Diversity has a sample anonymous survey that can be used to capture your board demographics. We encourage every organization to use an approach that feels right to the individual board. It is important that before asking for the information, the board understands the commitment they will make through the BBD pledge and why their personal information is necessary to monitor success.
For employers, we encourage you to allow your employees to self-report their community involvement. We have a sample form that can be implemented if you are not tracking this information today.
Is my organization making a financial commitment by taking this pledge?
As part of this commitment, signatories have agreed to dedicate their time and resources to advance diversity and inclusion efforts both within their organization and as a part of this coalition to benefit society. This means that you may experience financial impact through changes in your time off policy, administering a diversity training, etc. The cost will vary for every organization.
How will I report information every year?
Building Board Diversity will email the contact person listed for each organization in December. Organizations will have until January 31st to provide their updated information. If no information is received the signatory will be removed from the list of organizations that have taken the BBD pledge.
What does success look like and how will you measure it?
Success, to us, is a continued conversation around diversity in the nonprofit community. We will actively share successes on social media platforms to create awareness. We will measure success by all improvements no matter how big or small they may seem.