Kari Guida found a match with the mission of the Twin Cities Million Mom March. Photo by Amber Procaccini.
Members of the board
In 2003, the YWCA and the Urban Coalition surveyed 383 nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities with a total of 5,968 board members. Here’s a breakdown of their findings.
Gender
• 57% men
• 43% women
• 84% have more than two women members
Race
• 84% white
• 16% people of color
• 28% have no members of color
• 64% have two or fewer members of color
Andrea Bronson
Kari Guida doesn’t have a lot of extra time or a lot of extra money. Less than a year out of graduate school, she is just beginning her career in public health. She volunteers with Women Opt In, a group that works to elect women to public office, but she still wanted to do more to make change in her community.
What she didn’t know was how. Where was she needed? How could she get involved? What type of program would fit her means and schedule?
Through Women Opt In, Guida heard about the Leadership Registry, a program that helps place women and people of color on the boards of directors of Twin Cities nonprofits, and she signed up.
The registry matched her needs with those of the Twin Cities Million Mom March, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence. “I realized that I was ready to take on more leadership roles in the community, because leadership influences policy and policy leads to change,” Guida said.
The registry, run by the YWCA and MAP for Nonprofits, makes it easier for women and people of color to connect with nonprofits by screening candidates and organizations and then matching their needs.
Balancing race and gender
The Leadership Registry was created after a report released by the YWCA and the Urban Coalition in 2003 showed that women and people of color were underrepresented on Twin Cities boards compared to the demographics of race and gender in the Twin Cities. (See sidebar.) The boards of many Twin Cities nonprofits don’t reflect the communities they serve, and often women and people of color have only token representation.
The Midtown Greenway Coalition was the first organization to join the registry and has recruited two candidates from the registry. The coalition works to create green space in the Twin Cities, primarily through the creation of the 5.5 mile cycling and walking path, the Midtown Greenway. Although the coalition has a relatively diverse board—of the 18 members, 40 percent are women and 6 are people of color—the coalition wants to include more women and people of color. Bob Corrick, board chair of the coalition, said that the coalition represents 16 neighborhoods that vary in terms of population and income and that those neighborhoods need to have accurate representation. He explained, “The board needs to have the perspectives of a broad range of members and should reflect the diversity of the constituency that we represent.”
Who can join?
Nonprofit organizations can join the registry for $250 fee. Two members from each board are required to attend an “Unlearning Racism” seminar at the YWCA. Membership is free for individuals. Applicants fill out a two-page questionnaire online. Then registry coordinator Vicki McKenna interviews applicants to assess their skills, passions and professional history.
Twenty-four Twin Cities nonprofits have joined the registry so far, along with 230 individuals. Most of the individual members are women—22 are men of color.
Guida described her experience with the registry as “a seamless process.” She accepted the first placement that the registry offered her. She pays $25 in yearly dues to the Million Mom March and commits up to 10 hours monthly to the board. The Million Mom March benefits from her perspective as a young woman and as the only board member without children. Working with the Million Moms gives Guida an opportunity to make a difference in the community and learn something new, she said. “I went to one meeting and I haven’t looked back.”
Some organizations require board members to make large financial contributions, but many organizations are more interested in specific skills or intangibles such as passion, enthusiasm and a willingness to donate time. Mercy Olson Ward, public policy coordinator for the YWCA, serves on the board of the Minnesota Women’s Consortium. “Our passion about issues and the amount of time and energy we give counterbalances our abilities to give big checks,” Ward said of the Consortium board.
Although it varies by organization, Olson Ward estimates that board members commit to an average of 10 hours per month. MAP offers a one-time two-hour Board Boot Camp that covers the basics of roles and responsibilities. MAP also has information online for anyone considering joining a board.
Ward said that many board members tell her they get more than they give from serving on boards. Members learn to work with diverse individuals, to push agendas and to create change within an organization that will benefit the community. Boards provide opportunities to network and make connections.
“A lot of organizations want to find people and diversify but don’t know how to do it, and there are a lot of women and people of color who want to get involved but don’t know how,” said Kimberly Therres, registry program assistant. “The Leadership Registry is a great way to link these two groups.”
For more information about the Leadership Registry or to apply, see www.ywcampls.org/community-
programs/registry or contact Mercy Olson Ward at 612-215-4123 or Kimberly Therres at 612-215-4124.
To learn more about board roles and responsibilities, visit MAP for Nonprofits at www.mapfornonprofits.org and click on Online Nonprofit Resources.
