July 19, 2013
Some of the most successful nonprofits have a team of board members who not only bring diverse skills to the organization, but also work well together to solve problems occurring within the organization. This is why it is extremely important to build a team of board members who have endless potential. According to new research from Ernst & Young, integrating diversity into the team of board members can bring in a number of differing perspectives that can lead to spirited discussions and the best strategic decisions at the organization.
"Diversity in skill sets, experience, expertise, viewpoints and gender can lead to a stronger, more effective board," said Bryan Pearce, director of Entrepreneur of the Year and venture capital advisory group at Ernst & Young.
Women directors can supplement lead to more success
Many nonprofits are run similarly to companies throughout the United States, so it is important to note that the study found businesses in the top quartile of the number of women on their board outperformed the bottom quartile by 26 percent. Furthermore, enterprises with board members who are women achieved higher average growth over the past six year. Nonprofit leaders may want to take this research into account, apply it to their own organization and add more women to their board.
"A diverse board can be a valuable resource when it comes to diversity in hiring, financing alternatives and in diversity supplier situations," said Tom McDonnell, CEO for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Women can make a difference right away
Nonprofits work throughout the year to support their cause, and board members play an important role in the growth and prosperity of an organization. Women who take on advanced roles know how important the nonprofit is to its beneficiaries and take their jobs very seriously. Here are some suggestions from Today's Chicago Woman magazine for women who join a nonprofit's board of directors:
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We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.
Luckily for us, our interactions regarding any issues with staffing has been very minimal! I can say that all other interactions with regards to billing, 941 reporting, etc. have been extremely pleasant, accommodating and easy to work with. Kim Ghanayem is always prompt, professional and friendly. Thank you so much!
First Nonprofit has been easy to work with and makes the administrative process easier and smoother. We enjoy working with you.