Racial Gaps in Nonprofit Leadership
with guests Sean Thomas-Breitfeld and Frances Kunreuther, co-directors of the Building Movement Project
Why – despite an increased number of training programs for developing leaders of color and the number of groups working on issues of race/race equity – are there not more leaders of color in the nonprofit sector? Sean Thomas-Breitfeld and Frances Kunreuther, co-directors of the Building Movement Project, conducted a survey of nonprofit leaders that resulted in their provocative report, Race to Lead: Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap. We explore its finding and implication in this episode.
Frances Kunreuther
Co-Director, the Building Movement Project
Frances Kunreuther Bio:
Frances Kunreuther co-directs the Building Movement Project, which works to strengthen U.S. nonprofits as sites of civic engagement and social change. She is co-author of two books, From the Ground Up: Grassroots Organizations Making Social Change (Cornell, 2006) and Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership (Jossey Bass, 2009). Frances was a senior fellow at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University for five years and is currently affiliated with the Research Center for Leadership and Action at NYU where she also teaches. In the 1990s, Frances headed the Hetrick-Martin Institute for LBGT youth and was awarded an Annie E. Casey Foundation Fellowship for this and her previous work with homeless youth and families, undocumented immigrants, crime victims, battered women, and substance users. She writes and presents frequently on issues related to nonprofits, leadership and social change.
Sean Thomas-Breitfeld
Co-Director, the Building Movement Project
Sean Thomas-Breitfeld Bio:
Sean Thomas-Breitfeld co-directs the Building Movement Project, with a special focus on BMP’s work on service and social change. Prior to joining the BMP staff, Sean spent a decade working in various roles at the Center for Community Change. At CCC, he developed training programs for grassroots leaders, worked in CCC’s communications and policy departments where he coordinated online and grassroots advocacy efforts, and lobbied on a range of issues, including immigration reform, transportation equity and anti-poverty programs. Before joining the Center, Sean worked as a Policy Analyst at the National Council of La Raza, where he focused on employment and income security issues. Sean holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Multicultural Studies from St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
Helpful Links and Resources:
- Civil Society thanks One Voice Central Texas for their help in arranging this episode. It is a coalition of nonprofit health and human service organizations working to make sure that everyone can contribute to our community and thrive.
- The Center for Nonprofit Studies has several Certificates https://sites.austincc.edu/npo/certificates/ and learning opportunities https://sites.austincc.edu/npo/events/ that focus on the issues addressed in this episode and in the Race to Lead report.
- The Building Movement Project develops research, tools, training materials and opportunities for partnership that bolster nonprofit organizations’ ability to support the voice and power of the people they serve.
- Race to Lead: Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap reflects findings that challenge the way the nonprofit sector has been approaching the racial leadership gap.
- The Race to Lead Series with additional reports and information.
- Social Service and Social Change: A Process Guide was developed for staff and board members of nonprofit service organizations who are interested in learning how to incorporate progressive social change values and practices into their work.
- Nonprofits Integrating Community Engagement Guide offers information, tools, case studies and other resources to help nonprofit groups develop core competencies on constituent and community engagement.
- The New Philanthropists are creating a leadership pipeline for a more diverse and inclusive Austin.