Mission
To act as a catalyst in building diverse leadership in Sonoma County that reflects our community’s racial demographics.
Background
At Community Foundation Sonoma County, we recognize that power is held by decision-makers that do not represent our community’s diversity. As the nation and our county become more racially diverse, the percentage of people of color in nonprofit leadership has not moved in over a decade, remaining well under 20% nationally for Executive Director/CEO roles. Although there is no data on the racial demographics of nonprofit leadership in Sonoma County, a review of just some of the over 3,000 registered nonprofit organizations in our region implies our county does not fare better than the national data.
Empowering and employing emerging leaders of color will help address racial disparities in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. It will also create a more inclusive and equitable community for future generations.
The value of diversity in the nonprofit and philanthropic fields is unquestionable; having staff and leadership that mirrors the population an organization seeks to help is critical in building better connections with clients and fostering creativity and innovation. Additionally, the mismatch in representation can hinder organizations in understanding and addressing racial inequality issues that are present in the community.