As chief of a statewide association of nonprofits groups, Darryl Jones Sr. says he sees firsthand what a report that will be released today bears out: Minorities are underrepresented in the leadership of state philanthropic organizations.
Jones, the chief executive at Maryland Nonprofits, which says it has more than 1,700 members, was not surprised by a study conducted by the Urban Institute that found that 22 percent of nonprofits in the Baltimore- Washington region are headed by a minority. About half the area's residents are minorities.
"I think because I expected this, it wasn't a disappointment," Jones said. "It corroborated what my personal experiences have been. When you have organizations that have few people of color on staff, oftentimes there aren't opportunities to grow and to increase their capacity."
The report, conducted at the behest of the Baltimore-Washington Regional Nonprofit Racial Diversity Collaborative, which aims to create effective strategies that will attract, develop and retain racially diverse leaders in the region, compares total population with nonprofit leadership.
According to the report, about 69 percent of Baltimore residents are minorities, while 34 percent of the nonprofits are headed by a minority. In the surrounding counties - Howard, Anne Arundel, Harford and Baltimore - where the total population is about 31 percent minorities, about 25 percent of the nonprofits are led by a person of color.
For the region, which includes Washington and its neighboring counties, blacks account for about 49 percent of the population and hold 22 percent of the executive director positions. According to the report, Latinos are the most underrepresented group, accounting for about 10 percent of the region's population but less than 1 percent of executive director positions.
Researchers surveyed the organizations beginning last summer and will unveil the findings at a nonprofit leadership conference today in Columbia.
Jones said nonprofit leadership staff and executive boards that mirror the communities they serve probably would have greater success.
"They can relate more to the issues. And they also know their communities better," he said.
Diane Bell McKoy, CEO of Associated Black Charities in Baltimore, said she is part of the collaborative that commissioned the study. McKoy said at a time when nonprofits are struggling financially, much like the overall economy, minority involvement at the top is key, especially as the organizations reach out to different communities.
"What it comes down to, if you really want to change negative outcomes, then you have to make sure you pay attention to who is bringing about change and who are the people being touched," she said. "It doesn't mean people not of color can't be in leadership. But is there a different kind of lens you wear on those issues when race matters? There is."
Betsy Nelson, executive director of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers, said nonprofit leaders should use the information as a baseline for the future.
The report encourages recruiting leaders of color by having current executives build better networks and personal relationships with minority workers.
"I hope the study gets people to talk about what differences it could make for an organization," Nelson said. "That awareness part helps to move things forward and [get them to] reflect on their own practices. This could be a little bit of an eye-opener. And that's all for the good."