Join the Equitable Board Lab: Tools and community to build more equitable nonprofit boards
We are in unprecedented times of change and emerging opportunities for justice and equity. But to make real change, engagement and equity is more critical than it’s ever been.
Join us in learning the skills and tools needed to attract and cultivate an equitable board for now and the future.
Equitable Board Lab is not currently available, however The Ross Collective and The Board Pro are offering a customized DEI process for individual nonprofits boards seeking to shift their board culture and make a plan towards building an equitable board. Reach out for more details.
Put your organization on the path to more equitable leadership and culture
To solve your most complex problems, and lead with integrity, the people who are most impacted by the decisions of your organization MUST be at the table with an equal stake in power and leadership.
Practical Tools for Equity
Tools matter. Ours reflect on racial equity and have been developed and deployed in diverse environments and by leaders and teams at all levels.
Effective Frameworks
Learn about and utilize recognized tools to help organizational leaders open up uncomfortable conversations.
Evaluate your Organization
Organizations MUST cultivate a racial equity focus in order to deepen their work and ensure that it has impact now and in the future.
Cohort-Learning
Learn from and with others who are actively tackling this work in their organizations too.
Experienced Mentoring
Nonprofit leaders with decades of diversity, inclusion, board development, and organizational strategy will guide you.
Proven Curriculum
Experiential learning and engagement utilizing tried and true facilitation deployed with groups large and small.
“We are fighting for an unapologetic movement for economic, social and racial justice in the United States.”
-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
That’s why we created a model for critical learning at a critical time in a format that considers your needs, limits, and capacity
We get it. You’re already swamped.
You’re already over your limit and everything feels important. We’ve designed a course that gets you the absolute most-impactful outcomes in the least amount of time.
Meet the Facilitators
Equitable Board Lab’s instructors will guide you through reflection, tools, and frameworks designed to shift individual and organizational behavior.
Dr. Renee Rubin Ross
Dr. Renee Rubin Ross is a nationally recognized leader on board and organizational development and strategy and the founder of The Ross Collective, a consulting firm that designs and leads inclusive, participatory processes for social sector boards and staff.
Committed to racial equity in the nonprofit sector, Dr. Ross supports organizations and individuals in practices that celebrate and amplify diverse voices and perspectives.
Christal M. Cherry
Christal M. Cherry, principal of The Board Pro, is a nationally recognized nonprofit executive and professionally trained fundraiser. Her career portfolio includes American University, the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College, Nicholas House, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Florida A & M University, Action Ministries and the GA Center for Nonprofits. She currently serves on the board of the Greater Atlanta chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Villages of Carver YMCA.
The Curriculum & Schedule
All sessions held online for 90 minutes at 11-12:30 PST/ 2-3:30 EST
Week 1: Opening and intention setting: Meet other participants, set your intention for the course
Week 2: Exploring unconscious bias and anti-racism: Reflect on how unconscious bias shows up in our behavior and how we can move towards an anti-racist stance
Week 3: Planting the seeds for change - applying a racial equity lens to board service: Explore tools to assess your board and organization
Week 4: Assessing your organization: Guidelines for conducting the assessment and what to keep in mind
Week 5: Reflecting on the assessment : Process learning from the assessment and next steps
Week 6: Closing and next steps: Create individual and organizational action plans
Post-cohort: Stay in touch and continue to support other cohort members in a dedicated course space
All sessions will be recorded.
This course is for you if:
You are in a leadership role in an organization that cares about racial equity, but doesn’t know where to start
You have been tasked with bringing a DEI focus to your board of directors
You see the need to deepen racial equity on your board and need tools to do more
FAQs
What type of nonprofit leaders should apply?
The course is geared toward nonprofit staff or board members who are seeking to bring a racial equity focus to a specific board of directors.
We already have a racially diverse board, do we need this course?
The course is focused on bringing a racial equity focus to nonprofits. This course is appropriate for boards or organizations who are racially diverse but haven’t brought a racial equity lens to their work yet.
We hired a DEI consultant, do we need to take this course?
This course is focused on shifting a nonprofit’s board towards racial equity as an opportunity to learn about DEI and to learn something about yourself. We’re providing a safe space for challenging conversations that foster growth and forward movement.
What do I need to do to prepare?
Sign up. Then clear the six live course dates on your calendar. We will be recording the sessions in the case that you have a conflict during one of the sessions. There will be ~1 hour of weekly homework that will deepen your learning so we recommend you block off time for this also.
What if I apply and pay but cannot attend?
If you apply and pay but cannot attend, we will hold a place for you in our next cohort. We are not able to refund tuition fees within 30 days of the start of the cohort.
How is the course structured?
We use a combination of group coaching, clear and applicable frameworks, quick feedback and “assignments” that are immediately relevant to your organization to amplify individual and group energy and insure that each participant quickly and thoughtfully moves this work forward.
Equitable Board Lab is not currently available, however The Ross Collective and The Board Pro are offering a customized DEI process for individual nonprofits boards seeking to shift their board culture and make a plan towards building an equitable board. Reach out for more details.