The folks in Elkhart Indiana, or at least the Elkhart Truth (the area newspaper writing a series on Hispanics in the area) have noticed that 15% of the community are demographically Latino. Less than (1%) of these folks sit on nonprofit or public boards. Interviews with various nonprofit execs revealed what I would label a halfhearted commitment to inclusion of seeking to diversify their boards. The common response to why boards weren't diverse was that it was hard to find Latinos willing to serve OR that the first priority when seeking board members is a dedication to mission and possessing some "skill". Really? I would offer that while most folks aren't born to be board members, the core competencies can be taught. In my opinion, there really isn't a good reason on the part of a nonprofit for not ensuring that the voice and eyes of those served aren't sitting at the board table at a level that is at least proportional to those the organization serves. And, who best to know or understand what then are the best services?
Here's the Elkhart Truth article.
Signs of Elkhart County’s rapidly growing Latino population can be found everywhere. From retail stores to the workplace to schools to summer festivals, Hispanics are becoming a larger part of just about every aspect of our community.
Except one.
When it comes to leadership roles in local government and key nonprofit organizations, Latinos are almost impossible to find.
An analysis by The Elkhart Truth of the makeup of local government boards and councils and the boards of the county’s major nonprofits found that just three Latinos held seats among the more than 250 positions.
In other words, while Latinos make up about 15 percent of the population in Elkhart County, they hold just 1 percent of leadership roles here.
Of the 92 county, municipal, town and school office-holders in Elkhart County, just one — Goshen School Board member Jose Ortiz — is Hispanic.
Ortiz seized an opportunity to serve on the school board when he was invited byGoshen Schools Superintendent Diane Woodworth to run for a spot on the board in 2014.
With no other Latino in an elected position at the time, Ortiz thought it would be a good chance for him to learn about what it takes to run for office and even share his experiences with younger Latinos.
“There is a need for having some Hispanic faces representing the community, ” he said.
More than a year later, Ortiz remains the only Latino elected official in the county. In Goshen, where nearly 30 percent of the population is Hispanic, only two Latinos have run for City Council — and both were unsuccessful.
“Politics in Elkhart County has been insular to a great extent, with people inviting their friends to participate,” said Felipe Merino, a Goshen immigration attorney and leader in the Hispanic community. “When Latinos don't know any Latino that has ever been in politics, it somehow does not seem attainable and perhaps not even desirable because it is out of their comfort zone.”
FEW HISPANICS ON NONPROFIT BOARDS
The lack of diversity also is prevalent among local nonprofit organizations. There are 161 people sitting on the boards of Elkhart County’s nine major nonprofits, and only two are Hispanic.
Take, for example, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, perhaps the most powerful and well-funded nonprofit in the county, with assets of more than $200 million. It has 21 board members but none are Hispanic, although President Pete McCown said the organization is actively recruiting a Latino for a spot on the board.
McCown said the foundation is well aware of the importance of having a diverse board but has had difficulty finding Latinos willing to serve, a complaint echoed by other nonprofit leaders.
“The foundation’s board is committed to strengthening the diversity of our board, with our highest priority recruiting someone from the Latino community to serve,” he said. “I feel diversity, in its many facets, is critically important to civic and nonprofit organization boards. That said, in my opinion, the most important aspect of high-functioning boards is having members who are fully engaged and committed to the organization they serve, regardless of their gender, religious views or ethnicity.”
While racial and ethnic diversity are important, McCown noted that there are other types of diversity that are key as well. Geography, gender, professional expertise and community knowledge all are factors in determining who will serve on its board, he said.
Other leaders of nonprofit organizations make the same point. While most say they are aggressively seeking Latinos to join their boards, finding board members who care for the group’s cause or who have much-needed expertise is just as important — if not more so — than ethnicity or race.
“When seeking to fill board positions, we seek first of all folks who have a passion for our mission,” said Candy Yoder, president and CEO of CAPS. “Then the board uses a matrix that includes areas of expertise, geographical diversity across the county, age, gender and ethnicity to achieve a balance across these areas.”
CAPS has one Latino on its 20-member board, but Yoder would like to see more representation.
“Ethnic diversity has been and continues to be the most challenging area for us,” she said. “We would like to have the makeup of our board be more reflective of the population of Elkhart County and will continue to work to that end.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart County has the largest board of any area nonprofit organization, with 26 members on its countywide governing board. There are no Latinos on that board, although the organization does have one Hispanic member on a smaller board that oversees its Goshen club, and 11 percent of its staff members are Hispanic.
Kevin Deary, president and CEO of the organization, said diversity is particularly important to the group because of the population it serves. In Goshen, nearly half of the youngsters served by the Boys & Girls Club are Hispanic, he said.
“With a changing community demographic, there must be all voices represented at the table,” Deary said. “Finding those who say ‘yes’ to serve and meet the expectations set by the board is a challenge for many of us, especially in the Latino community.”
Some organizations have tried aggressively to reach out to the Latino community — with mixed results.
The Goshen Chamber of Commerce, which has no Latinos on its 18-member board, created a Hispanic Business Council at one point to increase involvement among Latino business owners, said President David Daugherty. But the person who headed that council stepped aside and that initiative fizzled, he said.
Other efforts have been more successful, however. Last year, the chamber hosted an intercultural leadership academy and it plans to do the same this year. The chamber also is working with Goshen College to develop some English as a Second Language classes for businesses and their employees this fall, and the chamber plans to offer basic Spanish language classes for employers, Daugherty said.
“We do have some Hispanic business members and have asked some of the owners to be on the board, but at this time they have all indicated that they do not have the time to participate — the same response that we receive from a number of Anglo business owners,” Daughtery said. “We will continue to pursue representation from our Hispanic business owners to serve on the board, as we feel this is important.”
WHERE ARE THE LATINOS?
Why aren’t more Latinos involved in civic organizations?
Saulo Delgado, a Latino who has been on the Salvation Army board for about two years, said many Hispanics just don’t feel comfortable being part of organizations that are almost all white.
He noted that Latino-based groups such as ComUnidad have no problems finding members, which means Latinos are willing to play an active role in the community.
“There are Hispanics who want to be part of the major nonprofits, there are people who would love it, but they feel like they don’t belong. They feel like outsiders,” said Delgado, a local attorney. “It’s not that they don’t want to be involved. I just don’t know if they feel comfortable in those positions because they will be the only Latinos and they will stick out.”
Merino, the immigration attorney, said many times Hispanics simply don’t have time to take on what typically are volunteer positions.
Merino acknowledged that leaders of nonprofit groups want more Latino representation.
“However, when many of the Latinos are in survival mode to provide for their families, their time is scarce and, for many, transportation is an obstacle,” he said.
Organizations that hope to lure more Latinos also need to make a good case for why they should join, Merino added.
“When Latinos see the relevance to their lives, they will be engaged,” Merino added. “If institutions want more Latino engagement, they have to become relevant. I am a small businessman, and if I want to be relevant to my clients I have to continuously evolve to meet the changing needs that are in my environment.
“Unfortunately, it is easier for institutions and community organizations to do things the way they have always done them.”
Truth reporter Sharon Hernandez contributed to this story.