New report from CivicAction and the Diversity Institute Sheds Light on the Representation and Experiences of Diverse Leaders in Ontario's Not-for-Profit Sector
TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - CivicAction and the Diversity Institute today released a first-of-its-kind report, Diversity and inclusion in non-profit leadership in Ontario: Are we there yet? With funding support from the Ontario government, the report sheds light on the experiences of diverse leaders from across 803 non-profit organizations in Ontario, and looks at the state of equity, diversity, and inclusion in non-profit sector boards and executive teams, as well as the experiences of diverse leaders in Ontario's non-profit sector.
While research on the career development of equity-deserving communities in Canada is rich, a significant gap exists in understanding the experiences of diverse leaders in Ontario. Among the key findings is that although there is higher representation of women, immigrant, Indigenous, Black and other racialized workers in the non-profit sector than in other industries, a lack of diversity remains present at the leadership level.
Additional key findings include:
- Racialized people hold only 18.2% of leadership roles in Ontario's non-profit organizations. Indigenous Peoples hold an even smaller percentage at less than 3%, the lowest of all equity-deserving groups.
- While women hold the majority of director and senior management positions in the not-for-profit sector in Ontario (56.6%), there is a decrease in representation of women in these roles in large organizations, and in large urban centres. A decrease in the representation of women also exists in organizations with non-government funding sources.
Beyond representation, the report offers insights on workplace experiences of diverse leaders from across 25 municipalities in Ontario and looks at the state of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in non-profit sector boards and executive teams:
- 45.5% of Black leaders report experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment based on their ethnicity, race, skin colour, or cultural background.
- 50% of Black leaders often find themselves as the sole person of their race or ethnicity in the boardroom.
- 40% of Black leaders have contemplated leaving their board positions due to EDI issues they have encountered.
- More Black women leaders than those from any other equity-deserving group reported that errors made at work were often unfairly held against them throughout their board terms.
- When asked about barriers attributed to their advancement, Indigenous women noted that Indigenous identity, such as racism and stigma, affected their participation in non-profit boards more than their gender identity.
- Almost one-half of survey respondents from equity-deserving groups with hidden identities, including those identifying as 2SLGBTQ+ or persons living with disabilities, reported needing to hide part of their identities to fit in with other board members (40.9% and 48.1%, respectively).
These findings emphasize the urgent need to support equity-deserving groups in securing leadership and board roles. The report builds on research started in 2009 by the Diversity Institute to measure representation of racialized people in the GTHA's leadership (boards and senior leadership) in several sectors. CivicAction and the Ontario government were supporters of the early research, which led to the expanded series, DiversityLeads. This new report offers recommendations and links to resources and tools to help non-profits become more inclusive.
A key initiative working to address these challenges is BoardShift, a national award-winning program launched by CivicAction in 2022 to prepare and match talented Indigenous, Black, and racialized candidates with nonprofit, charitable, and public board opportunities. BoardShift also offers tools and resources to support boards in adopting inclusive governance practices, equipping them with the knowledge they need to welcome, amplify, and empower voices from equity-deserving communities.
CivicAction and the Diversity Institute will be hosting a panel discussion that will dig deeper into the findings of this report and share more information about BoardShift early in 2024. To read the full report, please visit our website.
Quotes:
"The Anti-Racism Directorate is committed to removing systemic barriers to ensure that all Ontarians have the tools, opportunities and supports they need to achieve their full potential. We are proud to support this vital initiative and CivicAction's BoardShift. This report is a testament to our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity within Ontario's non-profit sector. By investing in initiatives like BoardShift and this report, we are actively working towards advancing racial equity across our province." — Dr. Parm Bhatthal, Anti-Racism Directorate, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
"This report sets a vital baseline for diversity, equity, and inclusion in nonprofit leadership and although progress has been made, we've got a long way to go. CivicAction's BoardShift program is an essential part of this journey, addressing this challenge by training emerging leaders from equity-deserving groups, preparing organization to successfully welcome them, and connecting these two groups so that they can actively contribute to driving meaningful change." — Leslie Woo, CEO of CivicAction
"This is a first of its kind report for the non-profit sector in Ontario and expands on our research of over a decade on the leadership representation of equity-deserving groups and their lived experience. It is imperative, especially as Canadian organizations face increasing labour shortages, that non-profit organizations integrate an equity, diversity and inclusion lens to all aspects of their organizational strategy and at every level of their processes, such as procurement, service design, fundraising, marketing and delivery—not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is an economic imperative." — Wendy Cukier, Founder and Academic Director of the Diversity Institute and Research Lead for the Future Skills Centre
Our thanks to Cision for sponsoring this announcement.
CivicAction is a convener of a network of leaders and organizations working together to build better, more inclusive cities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area by enabling community members to take an active role in shaping their future. As an apolitical and sector neutral organization, the organization creates spaces for community members to convene, collaborate, and co-create bold and impactful change.
Launched in October 2022, BoardShift is a national award program that prepares and matches talented Indigenous, Black, and racialized candidates with nonprofit, charitable, and public board opportunities. Leveraging a proven model, the program also provides tools and resources to support boards in adopting inclusive governance practices to equip them with the knowledge they need to welcome, amplify, and empower voices representing equity-deserving communities.
The Ontario government's Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism leads the province's anti-racism and inclusion initiatives to build an equitable Ontario and promote a sense of belonging through informed policies, programs and services. The ministry provided funding for the "Diversity in Ontario Not-Profit Boards of Directors and Senior Management" report.
Founded in 1999, the Diversity Institute is a research centre based at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Diversity Institute leads action-oriented research and evidence-based programs to advance equity, diversity and inclusion. It is the research lead for the Future Skills Centre, which is funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Program. It also leads the national Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and is an ecosystem partner in the 50 – 30 Challenge to advance gender parity and increased diversity on boards. With more than 130 full time staff and 200 community, industry and government partners, the Diversity Institute focuses on creating more inclusive innovation, skills and employment ecosystems.
SOURCE CivicAction Leadership Foundation
Media Contacts: Hamna Awan, 647-469-4263; Kathleen Powderley, [email protected], 416-803-5597
Share this article