Date of Award
5-2017
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Public Administration and Policy
Advisor/Committee Chair
Edmund Stazyk
Abstract
The potential benefits of diversity in board members are increasingly recognized in both diversity and public administration literature, in that the innovative ideas and diverse perspectives of board members may translate into business-related gains for the organization. Following a literature review and theories that discuss diversity on boards, the paper uses financial data from two nonprofit organizations in order to test the assertion that nonprofits with more diverse boards will show signs of greater organizational effectiveness. Results from several comparison ratios show a lower level of donations, but greater operating, fundraising, and programming efficiency, in a nonprofit with a more diverse board. Despite a limited sample size, findings suggest that the insights and perspectives that diverse nonprofit board members bring may allow them to think and plan strategically, and in doing so govern more efficiently towards the social purpose of their organization’s mission.
Recommended Citation
Christoffel, Jessica, "Literature Review and Accompanying Analysis of Diversity on a Nonprofit’s Board of Directors: Does Diversity Impact Organizational Effectiveness?" (2017). Public Administration & Policy. 5.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_pad/5