Increasing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with Orchestra Staff and Boards

Organizations are most effective when their work is governed and delivered by people who represent the diversity of the communities they serve. The following resources are designed to support orchestras’ efforts to attract and retain diverse orchestra boards and staff.

“A New Will to Confront Homogeneity in American Orchestras” (PDF) – Jesse Rosen, League of American Orchestras, Symphony Magazine

Highlights the importance of alignment between board, staff, musicians and audiences, in driving forward the conversations and actions around DEI.

“Different Is Better: Why Diversity Matters in the Boardroom.” – Russell Reynolds, Russell Reynolds Associates

Presents the corporate perspective on board diversity as a function of strong strategic development and oversight.

Diversity and Inclusion: Essential to All NonProfits” – Anika Rahman, Huffington Post

“Viewpoint: Building a Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion” – Society for Human Resource Managers. 

Board Diversity: A Bigger Issue Than You Think (PDF) – Hildy Gottlieb

“Stop trying to add diversity to your board, and start re-looking at where that lack of diversity at the top really comes from: this piece examines a lack of board diversity as symptomatic of a bigger organizational issues.“

If Your Board Looked Like Your Community – Josephine Ramirez, portfolio director, The James Irvine Foundation

Shifting the perception of board diversity, from “a problem to solve” to something to practice, staff and board members discuss common hurdles and how to overcome them.

Beyond the Board Statement: How Can Boards Join the Movement for Racial Justice? – Nonprofit Quarterly

What is the nonprofit board of directors’ responsibility and opportunity for leadership around racial justice? Beyond the board statement, what can boards do to ensure that the organizations they govern are living their values? Nationally recognized governance, strategy, and equity consultants Vernetta Walker and Robin Stacia host an in-depth set of conversations about how boards of directors can and should join the movement for racial justice.