How the board can drive EDI

Don’t think that charities, because of the nature of the sector, are excluded from equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) conversations. In fact, many charity leaders are driving EDI from conversation to action.

 

At the charity board level, leaders are taking a hard look internally at what can be improved, and taking a public stand. With much more than reputations at stake, board members are learning how to drive an EDI culture across organisations.

 

 

Why is EDI important?

 

There’s no single reason why EDI is important because it touches many social and economic injustices in society. For the non-profits working to ease inequality, EDI matters not just as goals to strive towards, but as something that charities should be reflecting.

 

The NCVO puts it right: “The voluntary sector reflects these inequalities and the wider barriers and exclusion in society. Our trustees, staff and volunteers do not always reflect the communities our organisations serve.”

 

EDI is a complex mandate. It’s not just about the work charities do, but how charities are represented.  

 

 

The board’s overall role

 

EDI are embedded in the Charity Governance Code. The board’s role determines how EDI is defined, assessed, and reported on. Leadership’s biggest role is in assessing how charities are doing EDI. The Charity Governance Code gives examples. They say that EDI can be driven by:

• Diversity at the board level in terms of representation
• Eliminating biases in recruitment
• Making meetings more inclusive
• How leaders themselves demonstrate EDI principles

There are many ways to drive EDI initiatives at the board level. We cover some below.

 

 

Being aware of unconscious bias

 

To root out unfair practices and improve EDI standards, leaders should reflect on unconscious biases. These are implicit stereotypes that people have due to their personal background.

 

Acas says being aware of implicit stereotypes is a good start to ensuring equal opportunity. The top tip here is to have more than one person doing the decision-making, so that upbringings don’t influence choices.

 

 

Get educated

 

Board members have a special responsibility to show that EDI matters to the outside world. Lessons can help with determining how they need to change.

 

Check out Getting on the Board’s online courses.

 

 

Succession planning is key

 

Engage board members and trustees to draft a plan to improve EDI. This could be part of a charity’s Articles of Association or as a board level resolution. As part of the commitment to EDI, LinkedIn suggests planning around board member and trustee term limits.

 

Replacing outgoing leadership with new talent from diverse backgrounds is an opportunity for boards to show inclusivity.

 

 

Include a statement of EDI

 

Commitment to EDI is a powerful public statement. Trailblazing charities GOSH and Maudsley Charity show audiences exactly what they value and how they are executing the strategy.

 

For board members considering how to communicate to the world their objectives, posting on the website and launching over social media is an inclusive way of telling people what’s being done.

 

 

Measure success

 

Like any digital project, assessing before and after impact quantifies EDI achievements. BCG, the management consultancy, offers five categories to measure.

 

By looking at recruitment, retention, advancement, representation, and pay, charities can start to mark out what diversity metrics matter to them. Gauge the analytics before, during, and after EDI programmes to see the full effect of impact.

 

 

Use inclusive language

 

Language matters. From recruitment advertisements to digital content, communications relay how inclusive your organisation is. Charity Comms offers advice on how to craft script.

 

In addition to using gender neutral pronouns, having people from diverse backgrounds edit materials helps eliminate prejudiced, discriminatory, or biased phrases. 

 

 

Use blind recruitment strategies

 

EDI focused recruitment is one area where leaders can make a big impact. At the board level, having members from diverse backgrounds strengthens decision-making.

 

The other benefit is that diversity in leadership represents the communities that charities serve. Ensuring recruitment is open and fair can mean using specialist talent hunters.

 

Charity People and Beapplied help eliminate innate biases by hiding personal details ahead of interviews.

 

 

Prepare for the long-term

 

EDI isn’t going to disappear any time soon. To avoid the appearance of EDI tokenism, boards must develop viable plans for the future and beyond.

 

Big Society Capital’s plans take the mid- and long-term view. Not only does their statement include where they are today, but what to expect over the next five years. They discuss how the approach will transform people and culture, engagement, and their investment thesis.

 

Taking a page from Big Society Capital’s journey, significant change in EDI isn’t a flash in the pan – lasting change is an organisational transformation.