The Impact of Diversity: Understanding How Nonprofit Board Diversity Affects Philanthropy, Leadership, and Board Engagement

Abstract

Diversity on nonprofit boards in the United States has been widely studied. A great deal of research has focused on this area, exploring topics such as the level of diversity, the motivations for increased diversity, and the benefits diversity seems to deliver. Despite such research, little is known about how increasing the diversity on nonprofit boards affects board engagement and impact. This study addresses this gap by answering two questions: "Which organizational attributes correlate with board diversity?" and "How is board diversity related to organizational action?"