Equity in Board Representation (EIB)

Good intentions will not close the gap between boards and the communities they exist to serve. National research continues to illustrate inequity in board leadership, and makes the case for intentional, sustained investment in board diversity and belonging:

• Nationally, a majority of nonprofit board members are all white, more than 8 in 10, and 10% of boards remain entirely white. These statistics have improved over time, but progress is slow and uneven.
• Recruitment habits are a major driver of this gap. Most boards still fill open seats through personal networks, turning to people they already know, rather than engaging in a deliberate, community-connected search. Fewer than one third of boards treat community knowledge or membership as a high priority in recruitment.

These numbers describe the default pattern boards fall into when recruitment isn’t intentional: boards that look like the people already in the room, rather than the communities they exist to serve. The cost of doing things “the way we’ve always done them” is real: homogeneity, disconnected decision-making, lower community trust, missed perspective, and, ultimately, a reduced potential for mission impact, innovation, and growth.

The alternative is intentional board building: recruiting with purpose, developing leaders proactively, and creating a culture where every board member, regardless of background, feels a sense of belonging and contributes fully. Boards that do this well don’t just look different; they make better decisions, build deeper trust, and drive stronger mission impact.

Closing this gap is exactly what the EIB and Nonprofit Board Training are built to do, and its core to our mission to promote, model, and grow innovation, excellence, and social impact, advancing best practices across the nonprofit sector.

Nonprofit boards are strongest when the center diversity and belonging. Full representation opens the door to authentic engagement and deeper connection with every community an organization serves, but getting there takes more than good intentions. While diversity is a priority across the nonprofit sector, true progress requires equity: creating the conditions for board members from underrepresented communities not just to have a seat at the table, but to know and feel that they belong there.

Equity in Board Representation (EIB) is a six-part series designed to do exactly that. The program supports and advances board leadership development for individuals from underrepresented communities, while building real, lasting connections with local nonprofit boards.

Throughout the series, participants will:

• Assess their own skills, strengths, and passions;
• Learn directly from experienced community leaders;
• Engage in honest, authentic conversation about board service; and
• Shadow an active nonprofit board of directors in action.

Together, these experiences equip participants with the confidence and capability to step into high-impact nonprofit board roles.

EIB is built for newer board members, those exploring board service for the first time, now or in the future, and those who wish to strengthen their boards of directors and their own leadership. By removing common barriers to entry, and bridging connections with community leaders and boards of directors, the program offers a supportive, authentic space for mentorship, growth, and connection to nonprofit boards ready to welcome new leadership.

Great boards don’t just happen, they’re built. Our EIB Nonprofit Board Training is designed for organizations and those already at the table: boards and nonprofit leaders who recognize the importance of building representative boards that reflect our full community, who know that there is room for improvement and greater impact.

This training explores BoardSource best practices and the core roles, responsibilities and legal duties of nonprofit boards, while helping organizations create a culture of belonging, a key ingredient for any high-impact, purpose-driven organization. Boards that do this well don’t just diversify; they strengthen recruitment, deepen engagement, improve retention, and advance mission impact.

The EIB Program and Board Training are a shared effort to foster equity and belonging across the nonprofit sector, both by supporting organizations in strengthening and growing their boards of directors, and by growing local capacity for board leadership and service.

Participating board members and leaders walk away with the knowledge, skills, and tools to perform their critical duties while intentionally advancing belonging within their board, along with practical strategies to drive full community representation and strengthen recruitment and retention.

Together, EIB and Nonprofit Board Training form two halves of the same mission: preparing capable, community-driven leaders for board service, and equipping the boards ready to welcome them, strengthening the impact and leadership of organizations across our community.

Since its launch, EIB has graduated 102 participants and built partnerships with 27 nonprofit organizations, growing a pipeline of prepared, capable leaders alongside a growing network of boards ready to welcome them.

Over 100 participants have graduated from the EIB program, building their skills, expanding their networks, and stepping forward as ready, capable candidates for nonprofit board service. Participants leave EIB with a clear understanding nonprofit board structure, a network of mentors and peers, and the tools to pursue board service with confidence. EIB connects rising leaders directly with nonprofit boards actively seeking new perspectives and voices. When boards reflect the communities they serve, decisions are stronger, trust deepens, and impact grows

EIB is part of a broader effort to advance equity and belonging across the nonprofit sector. Alongside this series, our organization also hosts a Nonprofit Board Training, equipping current board members and leaders with the tools to build purpose-driven boards where everyone belongs.

The EIB Program was borne out of NICNE’s presentation of workshops focused on DEI Training for Nonprofit Boards in May of 2021 and Building Equity and Belonging into Your Board Culture held in May of 2022. Find NICNE’s DEI and Cultural Competency for Nonprofits YouTube playlist here. This early work led to a critical partnership with Martesha Brown, the President of the Rockford Park District Board of Commissioners, Principal and Founder of MB Strategic Solutions, and member of NICNE’s Professional Services Team, who led the development of curriculum to equip those ready for board service with the skills and confidence needed to lead, while engaging powerful community leaders ready to share their perspectives and expertise with those growing into leadership. The program also builds critical connections to NICNE Member organizations and those from the broader nonprofit community who are ready to transform their approach to governance, implement best governance practices, create opportunities for board leadership for program graduates, and deepen community trust. This work could not be done without a shared commitment to deep collaboration and a heart for service to community.

By the end of the series, participants are more than prepared — they are equipped. They understand their strengths, have practiced authentic engagement, and have seen board service firsthand through direct shadowing experience. What comes next is a natural progression: stepping confidently into nonprofit board leadership.

This progression benefits nonprofit boards just as much as it does participants. EIB graduates expand the pool of qualified, ready candidates available to local nonprofit boards; individuals who bring real knowledge, sharpened skills, and demonstrated commitment to the table.

That value isn’t rooted in representation alone. EIB graduates are strong board candidates because of what they know and what they bring, not simply because of the communities they come from. At the same time, their perspectives, shaped by lived experience in underrepresented communities, are exactly the kind of insight that strengthens board decision-making. Boards that recognize this dual value, capability and perspective, together, are the boards best positioned to grow.

This is what it means to build belonging on boards: not simply opening a seat, but recognizing the full, earned value of the person who sits in it.

EIB’s impact extends beyond the classroom because of the nonprofit organizations across the Northern Illinois region who partner with the program. Opening their boardrooms for shadowing experiences, sharing mentorship and expertise, and welcoming EIB graduates as candidates for open board seats. These partnerships turn preparation into real-world board experience and give participants a direct line into the organizations shaping our community.

EIB has proudly partnered with over 27 nonprofit organizations. If you would like to engage as a board partner, host program graduates, or attend nonprofit board training, please contact Billie Callahan, NICNE Co-Director, at bcallahan@niu.edu.

If you are committed to belonging and equity on nonprofit boards, and have board or committee positions to share with program graduates or the broader community, submit your opportunities on NICNE’s

The Equity in Board Representation (EIB) Program would not be possible without strong community partners, sponsors, and philanthropic grants. Early programming in 2021 and 2022 was supported in part by a $250,000 Illinois state appropriation that allowed the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence to strengthen its mission and nonprofit capacity-building work.

Building upon the momentum of these early programs, and accelerated by the vision of program partner Martesha Brown, NICNE applied for funding from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois which allowed us to co-create the inaugural 2023 EIB Program, with additional support from event sponsors including Friends of Mayor McNamara, Think Big! 815, Inner City Reconstruction group – Juneteenth 1865, Workplace Staffing, and RACVB GoRockford. 30 individuals graduated from the cohort, going on to serve on a variety of area nonprofit boards of directors.

The 2024 program, which empowered 40 individuals with board leadership skills, was expanded into a six-week program, with the addition of a board connections fair to match graduates to opportunities to serve on the boards of organizations committed to the core values of this program. Presented with continued support from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, NAACP Rockford, Rockford Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Eight Fifteen Capital, LLC, and Coalition of Latino Leaders.

In 2026, and again in 2027, the program received full support from the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity (DCEO). This critical investment has resulted in us exceeding our goals, graduating more than 100 individuals from the program in 2026, engaging dozens of area organizations as board partners and board connections fair participants, and providing training to dozens of organizations committed to advancing equity and belonging. This support also allowed us to further expand the program curriculum, expanding content on fund development and financial oversight, adding a mock board meeting to exercise newly gained skills, and adding capacity to engage organizations and potential board members to facilitate matches all year long.

Watch for 2027 program details on NICNE’s Eventbrite page in the coming months.