The Ki-Rin Discussion Board

While charitable organisations are seeing an increasing trend in representing women in management and other positions, inequalities still persist for people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds. Indeed, there is much evidence to suggest that such barriers also exist for women, especially in the commercial sector, and particularly for women from BME communities who face the issue of double marginalisation.

The following underlying factors can play a role:

• A lack of mentors and role models;
• Exclusion from informal networks of communication;
• Stereotyping and preconceptions of roles and abilities;
• And lack of significant line experience, visible and/or challenging assignments.
  

Most diversity models, would have a consensual view that a diverse workforce can be the most precious resource that any organisation can have. Most books on leadership would also testify to this. Whilst diversity can present problems, although never ones that cannot be overcome, it can also provide wonderful opportunities.

Charity leaders, like in other sectors, have the freedom to influence their organisational culture, governance and management practices. An important step would be to move away from “this is the way things are done around here” to “why things are done that way”. In our experience of working in the UK Charity sector for the last 20 years, we have come across dynamic charities that have championed the work around diversity and benefited from it. However, we have also engaged with organisations running on old fashioned and archaic models who haven’t awakened to smell the coffee of success through embracing diversity. This can often be attributed to factors concerning willingness and desire, commitment and know-how, fear of change and perceived resource implications, or a combination of those factors.

Are we still turning the diversity tanker in the voluntary sector? Or have things moved on significantly?

Is the economic squeeze going to wipe out the small guy? High impact grass-root NGOs have never seen a tougher time, not only trying to cope with the economic crisis but also trying to compete with the big boys. Time to take stock of what’s gone stale and what needs to be re-energised and time to streamline and innovate. But a small community based organisation often doesn’t have the capacity to juggle services, support and manage internal stakeholders and invest efforts into fundraising. It is perhaps about time that the big boys reinvested their efforts in being mission driven and lending a hand in partnership with the small guy who shares that same mission.