Written by those with lived experience, and packed with top tips from chairs and trustees, 'It starts from the top' is a must-read for anyone hoping to make non-profit boards and organisations fairer and more resilient.
With contributions from:
- Emeritus Professor Peter Beresford of Disabled-people’s organisation Shaping Our Lives
- Mita Desai, co-CEO of Young Trustees Movement
- Malcolm John, founder of Action for Trustee Racial Diversity and AoC board member
- Neal Mankey, Chair of ADHD UK
- Yatin Mistry, Chair of the LGBT+ Consortium
- Rashmi Rungta, experienced trustee and AoC board member
Association of Chairs EDI survey in September 2024 revealed that many chairs and boards don’t feel equipped or confident to focus on EDI. While around half of respondents said they felt “enthusiastic” and “motivated” about EDI, only 29% said they felt “confident”. 15% of respondents said they felt “unsure”, 11% felt “worried”, 9% felt “out of date” and 5% felt “fearful”.
40% of the survey respondents also said they had experienced barriers to inclusion to being on a charity board, showing there is much work to be done when it comes to making charity boards more diverse and inclusive.
The Association of Chairs guide acknowledges the challenges and provides practical actionable steps that any non-profit, no matter how big or small, can take.
Download the It starts from the top guide here