A new report shows that nonprofits still struggle to broaden the range of people who participate in governance. Change begins with an open conversation about challenges. Four years after a very vocal and intense public conversation around diversity, how far have we come? A new report points to some positives, but also suggests that there’s plenty of work to be done. The State of Diversity in the U.S. Nonprofit Sector [PDF], released last month by Candid, is based on an analysis of nearly 60,000 organizations. Its main takeaway is that while many organizations have addressed diversity in their ..read more

The National Association of Broadcasters’ campaign to preserve AM radio had a big push on the air—but savvy online organizing helped as well.‘ Last week a Congressional committee approved a bill that would require cars to have access to AM radio. The move comes a year after the introduction of the AM for Every Vehicle Act, and an even longer period of industry advocacy on its behalf. Some automakers had begun removing AM radios from electric vehicles, citing interference between AM frequencies and their motors. But organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters argued that AM radi ..read more

Remote and hybrid work have unsettled an already messy environment. Strengthening teams starts with improving how you communicate with them. Teams are in trouble. According to research gathered by TED, half of meeting attendees find them unproductive—the proverbial “this could’ve been an email” situation. Nine out of 10 people daydream in meetings, and 75 percent of leaders haven’t received formal training on how to conduct them. The kicker is that these are circa-2014 figures, and the challenges of remote and hybrid work have only exacerbated the challenge. Methods for effectively managing te ..read more

The Association Climate Action Coalition hopes to create a community of practice around ways nonprofits can make the world more sustainable. A pair of consultants have developed an initiative to help associations share insights and strategize around climate change. The Association Climate Action Coalition was informally launched earlier this year by Elizabeth Weaver Engel, MA, CAE, and Shelly Alcorn. The effort follows the publication last year of a white paper the two co-wrote, The Time Is Now: Resilience and Adaptation and the Anthropocene Climate Disruption [PDF], which discussed the challe ..read more

Even the best execs can wear out their welcome. Smart CEOs create pipelines that build future leaders and successors. Don’t you think it’s time you quit? For many CEOs reading this, the answer is probably “not yet.” Though the average CEO tenure in the corporate world has stayed relatively steady in recent years, there is also a growing phenomenon of “forever CEOs,” those who’ve stayed in the job for a decade, or decades. There are upsides to a long-tenured exec—stability, institutional knowledge, experience with common crises, and more. But there are also challenges, as a recent article in th ..read more

The American Cancer Society hopes to gain insights from 100,000 respondents to better understand racial disparities around diagnoses and treatment. The American Cancer Society has launched a wide-scale national study to better understand trends around Black women and their cancer risks. VOICES of Black Women, announced by ACS on May 7, intends to enroll 100,000 women across 20 states and Washington, D.C., in a 30-year survey. Participants will receive regular questionnaires about their experiences and lifestyle, which ACS hopes will help reveal insights about inequities around diagnoses and tr ..read more

Employee engagement is the lowest in a decade. Hybrid arrangements are a lead culprit, but one association is well-equipped to address. According to a recent Gallup report, employee engagement in the United States is at an 11-year low. Time to panic? Not exactly. To be sure, engagement has nosedived since the pandemic, with only 30 percent of survey respondents saying they’re “highly engaged,” down from 36 percent in early 2020. But that’s still above or at the percentage between 2000 and 2013. And though the percentage of those who are “actively disengaged”—the “quiet quitters” that managers ..read more

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases plans to gather community-level data to address vaccine resistance. Two associations and a leading nonprofit have partnered with industry on a pilot program to identify reasons why U.S. adults avoid vaccination for respiratory diseases. Last month the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, a nonprofit that educates the public and healthcare industry about the illnesses, announced the initiative as a partnership with two associations:  The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), which represents federally funded directors of public ..read more

When the American Society of Landscape Architects decided to look ten years ahead, it asked: What will it look like when it reaches its goals? “Begin with the end in mind” is a common catchphrase in boardrooms and offices—as one of Stephen Covey’s famous seven habits, it’s meant as a prompt to figure out your destination before setting to work. But when it comes to strategy-setting, the end isn’t always a consideration. Strategic planning is often a function of thinking about this current headwind, or that current membership trend. A plan tries to set a goal for the future, but it often doesn ..read more

The “Ask an Aging Life Care Manager” sessions are an opportunity for the association to connect with the public, while perhaps boosting membership too. May is Older Americans Month, which the Aging Life Care Association is using as an opportunity to virtually open its doors to allow the public to better understand its members’ work. Throughout the month of May, ALCA will host weekly free Zoom educational sessions billed as “Ask an Aging Life Care Manager,” where caregivers, “solo agers,” and others can ask questions about available care options. Sessions last 45 minutes and are held on four Fr ..read more