The demographics of lean foundation boards and staff show significant disparities in diversity compared to the broader U.S. population.
Foundation Boards
The 2024 Foundation Operations and Management Report reveals White individuals, who make up 59% of the U.S. population, are overrepresented on foundation boards at 89%, while BIPOC individuals, representing 41% of the population, account for only 11% of board members.
Foundation Staff
This pattern extends to foundation staff, where 75% are White, and just 25% are BIPOC.
Leadership roles are particularly lacking in diversity, with only 10% of full-time CEOs being BIPOC, and 62% of foundations having no BIPOC employees. Although there has been a slight decrease in the percentage of foundations with exclusively White staff, overall progress in diversifying leadership and key roles remains limited.
Discover more insights in the full 2024 Racial Equity in Lean Foundations publication »
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