Beyond the Table: Building Nonprofit Boards That Reflect the Community

At the 3rd Annual Nonprofit Impact Summit, our founder and CEO, Wendy J. Roundtree, APR, moderated a panel called Beyond the Table: Building Boards that Reflect the Community.

During the conversation, panelists peeled back the layers on a topic often treated as a checkbox and explored the impact that diverse voices can bring to social change.

Terry Prather, Betsy Chapin Taylor, Esperanza Perez and Wendy J. Roundtree, APR

Who’s at the table shapes the story

Three takeaways from the conversation and why it should matter to communicators:

• Your story starts in the boardroom. they serve. . The way an organization describes its impact reflects the priorities its leaders set. Board-level representation shapes both.

• A range of perspectives sharpens decisions. A board that brings together different backgrounds, expertise and lived experience is better positioned to spot both opportunities and blind spots.

• Representation influences trust. A board that reflects the community it serves gives an organization’s messaging far more weight than talking points alone. It shifts the storytelling from speaking for communities to speaking with them.

Look at who sits around your board table. Does it reflect the community and the story you want to tell?

Want help aligning your organization's story with the communities you serve? Let's connect.