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Many U.S. associations embrace the concept of increased racial diversity in both staffing and governance. However, diversity reaches into other areas as well, including age, gender, experience, and geography. For some associations, diversity in board governance may mean representation for student populations, affiliated professionals, small as well as large businesses, or other specialized segments. But beyond being politically correct, associations with diverse hoard representation have learned that diversity helps create quality decision making and increases success in important areas such as mission, member recruitment and retention, conference attendance, and strategic alliances. Some examples of how diversity has benefited associations are presented.

THE FIRST THING most people think about when diversity is mentioned is racial diversity. "Building the Business Case for Multieulturalism," a study completed in 2003 by Dallas-based Meeting Professionals International, found that in the United States, people tend to identify their culture by race; while in Kurope and Canada, people mure readily identify themselves by nationality.

Many U.S. associations embrace the concept of increased racial diversity in both staffing and governance. However, diversity reaches into other areas as well, including age, gender, experience, and geography. For some associations, diversity in board governance may mean representation for student populations, affiliated professionals, small as well as large businesses, or other specialized segments.

Hut beyond being politically correct, associations with diverse hoard representation have learned that diversity helps create quality decision making and increases success in important areas such as mission, member recruitment and retention, conference attendance, and strategic alliances. Following arc some examples of how diversity has benefited other associations.

Increase membership and forge relationships. At the National Education Association, Washington, D.C., 95 percent of revenues come from dues, and diversity from the top down affects who joins, says NEA Executive Director John I. Wilson. "It would be difficult to recruit members from diverse groups if they couldn't look at the organization and see people who look like themselves," he says. "Our mission as public school advocates is to bring people together. Our credibility-not only among our members but also with the powers on |Capitol| Hill in Washington-would suffer if we did not see diversity as a natural priority."

Wilson thinks diversity is also an important factor in forging affiliations with independent groups. For example, in 2004 NEA craftecl an alliance that brought 6,000 nonteaching school employees into its membership (now at 2.7 million). "Diversity was important to them," Wilson adds, "and we would have missed a great opportunity if we couldn't have shown that we walk the talk."

Serve the population at large. Though age diversity is not a concern for AARP, Washington, D.C., (you must be 50 or older to join), all other forms of diversity are. With 35 million members, a number that is sure to grow as the last of the baby boomers turn 50, AARP strives to serve the needs of the general population.

"Half our members work full- or part-time, half are retired. Some of our members have physical disabilities, while others have active lifestyles. We serve [people from] a wide range of races, religions, and cultures," says Charles Leven, AARP vice president of board governance and board chair. "Diversity on our board enables us to serve our members' different needs better. In our effort to staff the board, we reach out to bring in many different perspectives. Our board is 50 percent male, 50 percent female, and 40 percent nonwhite. It's more a reflection of the future than the present."

Influence public perception. Kenneth C. McCrory, a past chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and veteran of numerous nonprofit boards, maintains that board diversity is critical to the public's perception of an organization. "Because the board often serves as the public face of the organization, a diverse board will help various constituencies identify better with the organization. If the majority of board members come from similar backgrounds, the board is automatically limited in its ability to take advantage of broader political, social, and fundraising contacts," he says.

Create greater awareness. Diversity at the board level also creates an active awareness of issues that otherwise may not be considered, says Karen Garcia-Gonzales, managing director for Meeting Professionals International's Multicultural Initiative. "A diverse board is more sensitive to cultural issues that may factor into member retention and conference attendance," she says. "An organization can lose members or their participation because of something that was never thought about, such as repeatedly scheduling meetings over religious holidays."

Create better strategic policy. Difficult to quantify-but viewed as essential by all sources-is the difference diversity makes in the conversations and decision making that occur at the board level.

"Encouraging diversity is the right thing to do," says Ed Able, CAE, president and CEO of the American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C. "But just as important is the fact that having a variety of perspectives on the board leads to better decision making so that policies are representative of the expectations of members in the field."

John Wilson of the National Education Association agrees. "Getting all perspectives helps the board predict how policy will play to the broader community. The richness of personal interactions and quality conversations is important on the board and at all levels."

In addition, the diverse experiences of board members guarantee that a topic is covered completely. "It's helpful in policy discussions to know you're getting legitimate feedback and not just 'preaching to the choir,' " says Leven. AARP's board also seeks input from its Hispanic Council to ensure that Hispanic members receive the services they want. One result of this initiative is AARP's Segunda Juventud (second youth), a bilingual Spanish/English magazine published quarterly in partnership with the largest Spanish daily newspaper in the United States.

Approach diversity systematically. In most organizations, diversity on the board of directors is not accidental; it is systematically created by bylaws and reinforced by nominating and election processes.

NEA's 167-seat board of directors is based primarily on geographic representation. Six retired members and three student members are elected at large. Chairs of caucus groups ensure that special concerns have a voice but are nonvoting members. Through its geographic election system, NEA has never had trouble reaching its goal of 20 percent representation from African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American populations, which was set more than 20 years ago, says Wilson. Nor has the nine-member executive committee ever failed to achieve the same goal or its mandate for approximately 50 percent female representation.

The American Association of Museums's diversity directive is that its board should "look like the museum community," says Able, "and that implies representation from A to Z, from art museums to zoos, not to mention history, science, youth museums, and any other kind you can think of." Additionally, AAM strives for gender, geographic, and ethnic representation on its 18-membcr board.

Melvin Tennant, CAE, president and CEU of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, maintains that recruiting for board diversity is effective only if an organization's leadership truly espouses its virtues. "People are astute enough not to be manipulated or pandered to," he says. "Diversity has to be woven into the fiber of the association. An association can't successfully create an artificially inclusive environment. It has to be authentic. True diversity will be achieved when we can stop referring to individuals by labels."

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Diversity on our board enables us to serve our members' different needs better."

-Charles Leven, Vice President of Board Governance and Board Chair, AARP