Extension Connection
USPS-525-100
Sullivan County
YOUR LINK TO LOCAL, RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS TO BETTER YOUR LIFE
VOLUME XCIII NO. 5
MAY 2022
Representatives of organizations across and outside of Sullivan County gather to take part in the Food Security Roundtable.
Upcoming U pcoming Events Events & Programs Programs Free Farm Stands & Mass Distribution A Day of Youth Empowerment Raising Pasture Pigs on Small Acreage 4-H Horse Knowledge Program Profitable Meat Marketing Workshop
Issue Isssue sue Highlights Higghhligghhts Help Stop Avian Flu: Take Down Your Bird Feeders! To Fill or Not to Fill... CCE Spotlights: Clarisse Owens, Meaghan Mullally-Gorr Heat Pumps for HEAP Recipients
4-H: A Year in Textiles Challenge Part II
Nine Components of a Strong “Vision Zero” Commitment
Virtual Caregiver Support Groups
“I Need a Break!” The Importance of SelfCare for the Caregiver
Hudson Valley Gives Day!
Keeping Records to Create a Successful 4-H Year!
See more events and opportunities on sullivancce.org/events. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Check out page 10 for fast facts and an Important Message of the Month!
Welcome W elcome to to the the Issue! Issue! Page 3 Message from the Executive Director Page 5 Help Stop Avian Flu: Take Down Your Bird Feeders! Page 6 To Fill or Not to Fill Page 9 CCE Spotlights Page 10 Fast Facts & More! Page 11 An Important Message on Biosecurity
Table Table of of Contents Contents Page 12 Heat Pumps for HEAP Recipients Page 13 Nine Components of a Strong “Vision Zero” Commitment Page 14 “I Need a Break!” The Importance of SelfCare for the Caregiver Page 15 Keeping Records to Create a Successful 4-H Year!
Page 16 DHI Report: March Page 17 Leading with Intent: Reviewing the State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Nonprofit Boards Page 19 Thanks, Sponsors! Page 20 Hudson Valley Gives Day
The Extension Connection (USPS-525-100) (USPS 525 100) is published monthly for $25.00 $25 00 enrollment by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County, located at 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Suite 1, Liberty, NY 12754-2903. Entered at Liberty, New York, as a periodical class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 412, Act of February 24, 1925. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Extension Connection, 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Suite 1, Liberty, NY 12754-2903.
OFFICE HOURS
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Hours: Mon - Fri | 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Phone: 845-292-6180 E-mail: sullivan@cornell.edu Website: www.sullivancce.org Facebook.com/ccesullivanagfood Instagram.com/ccesullivan YouTube: bitly.com/ccesullivan
Produced by: Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County Edited by: Nicole Slevin Nikolados, Erin Denman & Colleen Monaghan Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with DisAbilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. NOTICE: Official endorsement of advertisers and their products is not intended by the acceptance of their sponsorships for the Extension Connection.
STAFF MEMBERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dara Smith............................President John “JP” Lang...............Vice President Denise Frangipane................Secretary John Kiefer............................Treasurer Nadia Rajsz.................Legislative Rep. Adam Hughes..................Cornell Rep. Marcie Ehrman Freda Eisenberg Amanda Langseder Juanita Sarmiento Gary Silver Gary Silverman Justin Sutherland
PROGRAM COMMITTEE Alex Alorro Heather Brown Roberta Chambers Samara Ferris Cynthia Hernandez-Gonzalez Robert Kaplan DeeDee Malloy Desmond Oxford McDaniel Danielle Sykes Eugene Thalmann Deborah Worden
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Colleen Monaghan..............................................................................Executive Director Patricia Avery......................................Caregiver Resource Center Program Coordinator Thomas Bosket....................................................................SALT/DFC Program Manager SueAnn Boyd.........................................................Healthy Schools Program Coordinator Fabio Campanati............................Sullivan Fresh & Shop Taste NY Program Coordinator Elizabeth Clancy-DiBartolo......................................Sullivan Fresh Program Coordinator Martin Colavito................................................Community Cupboard Program Manager Kaitlyn Conklin............................................................................................4-H Educator Wanda V. Cruz..............................................Healthy Communities Program Coordinator Erin Denman...............................................................................Operations Coordinator Erica Lynch..........................................................Catskills Kitchen Program Coordinator Melinda Meddaugh.......................................................Ag & Food Systems Issue Leader Clarisse Owens..............................................................Food Systems Program Manager Vivian Monsanto...............................................................................Finance Coordinator Barbara Moran................................................4-H Youth Development Program Manager Bee Moser........................................................................SNAP-Ed New York Nutritionist Kendra Payne.............................................................................Digital Marketing Manager Vanessa Petrossian..................................Director of State & Regional Ag Market Initiatives Abyssinia Pla El...................................................................................Finance Coordinator Michelle Proscia..............................................................................Agriculture Educator John Mastrangelo............................................................................Assistant Ag Market Manager Nicole A. Slevin Nikolados..............................................Administrator & Director of DEI Ashley Tully...............................................................................Ag Program Coordinator Tara VanHorn........................................................................................Finance Manager Malinda Ware........................................................................................Program Director Sean Welsh.............................................................................Energy Resource Educator John Wilcox..........................................................................................Facilities Manager Judy Arpadi, Cherene Audain, Christopher Jones.................................Ag Market Coordinators
Extension Connection
May 2022
Dear friends of Extension, Happy spring! It’s so nice to enjoy morning coffee with birds chirping out my window. I hope you are able to take some time each morning to set an intention for the day, enjoy the stillness before the bustle, and greet your loved ones. We are pleased to share that the Extension Education Center is now fully open to the public for walk-in inquiries Monday through Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm. Our 32 staff will continue to rotate office hours moving forward so you may still want to continue dropping an email or phone call to the staff person or subject matter resource you are hoping to connect with to set an appointment. Or you can email our general box at sullivan@cornell.edu or call the main line at 845-292-6180 to be directed to the best person to chat with about your inquiry. You can also contact our main lines if you are interested in renting space at the Extension Education Center for your next meeting or program. I’d also like to note that we have officially closed the books on 2021, and are firmly in the black after two years of uncertainty. We learned this week with the passing of the 2022-2023 New York State budget that our core NYS County Law 224 funds have been increased statewide. It’s too early to know how this funding will make its way to the local level, but paired with our 2022 Sullivan County allocation by the Sullivan County Legislature, and with support from the County Manager’s Office, we will be able to continue the good work of the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard, the nutrition education and emergency mobile food pantry program that started in the wake of the pandemic. We are forever grateful for the support of our state and local elected officials, and YOUR donations, that support this important program for our neighbors. Please consider a donation to support the Community Cupboard on this year’s Hudson Valley Gives Day, which is around the corner on May 18. You’ll hear more about Hudson Valley Gives Day on social media as the day gets closer! With mixed feelings I share that our Community Horticulture Helpline is currently on pause. It’s not the best time of year for this programmatic pause, but we’re super happy to wish our former Horticulture Program Manager Brenda Miller all the best of luck as she moves on to work her farm full-time, her lifelong dream! Look out for Bobolink Farm at this
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summer’s farmers’ markets! We have posted for a replacement on our website. In the meantime, our neighboring CCEs in Orange, Ulster, and Delaware Counties have thriving Helplines and we’re sure if you reach out to them, they’ll be able to answer all your spring gardening questions. To stay local, you can reach out to our friends at www.sullivanrenaissance.org for gardening tips, tricks, and volunteer opportunities, too. With that and once again, happy spring, and see you in May! My very best,
Colleen Monaghan Executive Director, cm638@cornell.edu
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HELP STOP AVIAN FLU: TAKE DOWN YOUR BIRD FEEDERS! CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SHARES WHY TAKING DOWN BIRD FEEDERS CAN HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA threat of the disease has passed. It is uncertain as to when it Highly Pathogenic Avian will be safe to put feeders Influenza (HPAI) is a back out, but scientists serious, fatal disease of believe that case loads poultry that is at top of should decrease over mind for many. Since the the summer months. The beginning of the year, it’s highest risk of spreading been identified in over the disease is now, during 630 wild birds in 31 states, the spring migration. That including New York. New said, this is a disease of York has also had eight the colder months, and we cases of HPAI to date in may see cases spike again backyard poultry flocks, during the fall migration. which resulted in the death of 853 birds. It is up For those who have poultry at home, taking to us as good friends and neighbors to help protect down bird feeders is especially important. domestic poultry flocks. Additional ways to protect One of the ways that we can do this is to take down flocks include: our wild bird feeders for a • keeping your flock away from wild birds, little while. especially wild waterfowl While this disease is • keeping people who aren’t responsible for mostly carried by wild poultry care away from waterfowl, research has your flock, and shown that other wild • if you must visit other bird populations can poultry or areas that wild carry it too, especially if birds frequent, change into clean clothing and they share nesting and footwear before entering feeding grounds with poultry housing. wild waterfowl. These This disease can cause populations include unusual deaths and perching birds and songbirds. For this reason, illness in both wild and we are recommending that domestic birds. Concerns about dead or sick wild folks who feed wild birds birds can be directed to and also have poultry at your local Department home or who work with of Environmental poultry take down their Conservation (DEC) bird feeders until the Submitted by Michelle Proscia, Ag Educator
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office. Unusual wholeflock illnesses or deaths in poultry can be directed to NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets: 518-457-3502; the United States Department of Agriculture: 866-536-7593; or your local Cornell Cooperative Extension Office.
Until the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has passed, Cornell Cooperative Extension recommends that people who either own or work with poultry take down their wild bird feeders. Source: Amy Barkley, Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist with the SWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program, Accessed March 18, 2022.
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TO FILL OR NOT TO FILL... Submitted by Michelle Proscia, Ag Educator
requirements. Some towns in NY have additional requirements defining “clean” fill and/or when fill can be applied, such as a building permit filed and approved.
property. Be skeptical that the analyses are not fraudulent in some way. Note: this has occurred. Landowners have ended up with “hot” soil only to bear the sole responsibility for the contamination.
The issue the state of Maine is having with contaminated soils from approved sludge applications only heightens the reminder for landowners to be attentive to the application they make • NYSDEC must be notified of any transfers • Reject any loads to their soils, especially if that do not appear to of fill material they ever plan on using match the analysis. generated in, imported them as agricultural lands Any soil that has debris to or relocated within or the property remaining that may have come New York City and also suitable for sale. Aside from from construction and transfers of restrictedthreatening the value of, demolition (frequently use and limited-use fill typically, a farm’s greatest referred to as C&D) and in other areas of the asset, there is the risk of includes bricks, cement, State when the amount charges from agencies wires, re-bar, etc. is of fill is greater than ten such as the Department generally not suitable as (10) cubic yards. of Environmental structural fill. Soil that has an unnatural sheen, Conservation (DEC) and the • Get an analysis for smell of petroleum, or Environmental Protection EACH load of fill. The other waste should also Agency (EPA). sampling of the fill must be rejected. Examine be conducted by a DEC revised the regulations closely for clues of qualified environmental contamination in smaller for solid waste management professional (QEP), that particles of what would in 2017, and subsequently is, a person/business be man-made products issued (and updated with sufficient training like carpet fibers, paint on March 16, 2022) to exercise professional chips, or porcelain chips Enforcement Discretion judgment regarding the from plumbing fixtures. presence and impact of Letters clarifying the Document findings and hazardous substances. rejection of the load as Department’s stance on fill The QEP is required accurately as possible. material https://www.dec. to sample the fill for Since most carry still ny.gov/regulations/118777. contaminants such as and video cameras in a html. Many landowners metals, PCBs, asbestos, pocket, that might be a are unaware of the new petroleum products, good way of recording and other volatile regulations and hefty the findings of an organic compounds and inspection. penalties that may not only possibly pathogens. The mean fines but incarceration. allowable concentration https://www.dec.ny.gov/ • Some C&D fill may be of any contaminant chemical/292.html. acceptable, but it needs is based upon the to have been processed classification of the fill If fill is needed for by a facility that is and where it is going foundation for building or permitted to recycle to be reused. Due expanding, landowners C&D. These facilities are diligence requires might be able to accept fill required to keep records inspection of the analysis but here are some tips: of soil movement. C&D and ensuring what was tracking documents sampled is what is in the • Check with your must accompany all fill truck rolling onto the town if they have fill Page 6
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material leaving a C&D facility that does not qualify for a beneficial use determination. A Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) is where a waste product from some industry can be utilized in another way and the waste does not have to be solely treated as waste. An example of a BUD is the use of nitrate from silver refining being used in fertilizer production. A BUD may permit the use of C&D debris that has been specifically approved to be used elsewhere in NY for a specific application. Usually, these applications must meet several requirements that include that the debris will not be an environmental or human risk such as when it is used in the foundation of a building.
elsewhere in NY. • Landowners MAY NOT be reimbursed for accepting fill. Clean fill, if needed from off-site, for a building project is usually part of the expense of the project. A landowner may reduce the cost of the project if they can find fill for free. If a landowner accepts payment for the fill, they are now considered a landfill. Without proper permitting and designation as a landfill, that landowner is in violation of NY law.
have construction or other projects where soil is loose or disturbed, the site might require a Stormwater Prevention Plan to keep the loose soil on site and out of surface water. https:// www.dec.ny.gov/ chemical/43133. html. Construction for buildings on a farm may not qualify under agricultural exemption.
• Be cautious of where fill is dumped. It may not be dumped in NYSDEC or Federal wetlands, flood plains, or floodways. Floodways (State oversight) are the narrower areas where water is regularly DO THE MATH conveyed and the immediate areas that also 12” of fill on 1 acre fill with water seasonally. amounts to approximately The floodplain (typically 1600 cu.yd. or about 100 under Town oversight) is the larger area that includes the floodway fringe. This is where The fine for solid waste • Note that a BUD is floods may occur 1% of violations for landfilling a petition process the time. Dumping fill are substantial. Fines with forms to fill out. (even clean/permitted) in the hundreds of in areas or in such depths https://www.dec.ny.gov/ thousands are not that may impact the chemical/8821.html. It unheard of and criminal environment (usually is an official exemption penalties might result water sources) in a of the law that must be in incarceration. At the negative way may also approved specifically very least, it is common violate DEC, EPA or other by DEC that results in for land which has been regulations. a letter outlining the contaminated in this way Bottom line: It may be permitted practice. to have deed restriction Landowners that use financially beneficial to applied. This, in most or accept fill or C&D accept fill for free if there’s a ways, would make the debris should review land valueless as it would need for a building project all regulations and likely be unsalable and comply in order to avoid but diligence to ensure limit ability to even potential penalties and the fill meets requirements obtain a mortgage using in quality, quantity, and enforcement action. it as collateral. disposition is necessary to • All loads from the five avoid serious repercussions. boroughs of New Jersey • Disposition site might require a SWPP. Like must meet stricter Sources: Article written by Maire Ulrich, other businesses that requirements than from Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County. Extension Connection
May 2022
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CCE Sullivan Spotlights
Staff Spotlight CLARISSE OWENS Meet our new Food Systems Program Manager, Clarisse! Clarisse, also known as Clayr, is from a small town in Michigan where she grew up helping on farms and at roadside markets. Clarisse has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in organizational studies and environmental studies, with emphasis on sustainable food systems. During summers in college, Clarisse worked on biodynamic and organic farms, and studied culture and environment abroad. Before joining the CCE team, Clarisse managed a food hub and food equity program with a nonprofit in Southeastern North Carolina.
Clarisse Owens, Food Systems Program Manager
Community Spotlight Submitted by Thomas Bosket, SALT Program Manager
MEAGHAN MULLALLY-GORR
Meaghan Mullally-Gorr, Sullivan 180 Director of Heath and Wellness
I’d like to spotlight Meaghan Mullally-Gorr, Sullivan 180’s Director of Health and Wellness because she is the embodiment of what goodness meant to me as a child. Meaghan’s just said to me: “I want everyone to have a chance to be well and happy,” and she works every day in Sullivan County where she was born and raised to do that work. She told me her parents instilled in her that, “it’s important we give to the community what they gave to us.” She is raising her children here and found a job that allows her, “to connect with local residents, schools and communities, and help explore and support opportunities for health and wellness.” We are so proud to count Meaghan a colleague and a friend of SALT, CCE and myself. Extension Connection
May 2022
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May Focus: Fast Facts, Cool Tools, & News to Use
iÀc c a P n a i s A s i y Ma h
ont M e g a it r e H n a ic Amer
The Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders population makes up less than 1% of the total U.S. population.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” -Mark Twain
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The Asian populatio n makes up about 7% of the to tal U.S. population.
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Important Message on Biosecurity
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HEAT PUMPS FOR HEAP RECIPIENTS Submitted by Sean Welsh, Community Energy Advisor
As of February 2022, there is $26 million available for HEAP recipients across NYS to change their heating systems to heat pumps. Some details: • Up to $20,000 per household. • Available to renters and homeowners. • Home must meet levels of insulation (and part of funding can be used to bring them up to needed levels). • Heating systems must be
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Energy Advisor, at at least 5 years old. sw288@cornell.edu or • Residents must have a 845-292-6180 ext. 127. valid HEAP award letter from the current program year (dated after October Sources: Home Heating Systems. Energy.gov. 1st, 2021). (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/ • For air-source heat pumps or ground-source home-heating-systems Winter energy saving tips. Cornell (geothermal) systems. Cooperative Extension. (n.d.). January 26, 2022, from • Work must be completed Retrieved http://madisoncountycce.org/ by a professional heat energy/energy-saving-tips/ winter-energy-saving-tips pump installer before September 30th, 2022. For help applying, or to learn more about any of these offerings, Orange, Ulster, Rockland and Sullivan County residents should reach out to Sean Welsh, Community
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“I NEED A BREAK!” THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE FOR THE CAREGIVER overeating or skipping meals, lack of concentration, and having a difficult time relaxing The National Alliance for are all signs of caregiver Caregiving, in partnership stress and burnout. Once with AARP, estimates one in this is identified the question five Americans are providing becomes what to do about it. unpaid care to an adult 5 SELF-CARE TIPS TO family member or friend. THRIVE AS A CAREGIVER That translates to nearly 53 1.Take regular breaks. million people or 21.3% Pencil time in for yourself of the population in this each day. Perhaps 15 minutes country engaged in unpaid caregiving. Of those, 24% are of meditation, a 20-minute walk, yoga class, or tai providing care for more than chi. The activity should be one person, and 26% report having difficulty coordinating something that makes you feel grounded and revitalized. care for their care receivers. Make this part of your daily 61% of caregivers also work schedule and write it down. full-time! Of great concern Remember, downtime is is that 23% of American essential in making it possible caregivers report that for you to keep up with the caregiving has made their mental and physical demands own health worse. of caregiving. Caregivers report too often 2. Ask for help. There are not having the time to take only so many hours in a day, care of themselves or spend and only one of you. Don’t time with their families.They be afraid to ask for help. delay or miss their own When we do it all, everyone doctor appointments, or assumes we don’t need help. routine medical screenings, which can lead to a decline in Make a list of tasks that others can help with like grocery their own health. They often shopping, scheduling MD become more susceptible appointments, bringing over to depression, mood swings, sleep deprivation, resentment, dinner once a week, and ask and weight gain. Additionally, for help. fatigue, irritability, feeling 3. Nourish your mental hopeless and overwhelmed, and physical health. neglecting responsibilities, Eating nutritious meals, engaging in excessive getting enough rest, regular smoking or drinking, exercise, taking breaks, and Submitted by Patricia Avery, CRC Program Coordinator
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maintaining friendships and social contacts all will keep your body and mind healthy. Seek professional help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist when needed. You aren’t doing your loved one a favor if you run out of steam and are shorttempered. Insighttimer.com is a free app that provides help with sleep, anxiety, and stress management. 4. Simplify your life. You can’t do it all. Look for ways to simplify your schedule. Learning to schedule extra time throughout the day for unexpected occurrences can reduce stress and anxiety when they inevitably happen. Prepare fast and easy meals. And the big one: Learn to say NO. Evaluate the effect of taking on extra responsibility before agreeing to do so. The extra tasks may cause you and your loved one more strain. Allow someone else to chair the committee or prepare the holiday dinner. Your plate is already full.
5.Stay Socially Connected. Caregiving puts you at risk of becoming socially isolated, especially in this time of Covid-19.Those who maintain strong social connections may live longer, reduce their risk of developing dementia, and enjoy better mental health. Keep in touch with family and friends and consider joining a caregiver support group to meet others in similar circumstances.
Sources: TAARP and National Alliance for Caregiving. Caregiving in the United States 2020. Washington, DC: AARP. May 2020. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00103.001 Walker, Sarah. March 27, 2022. Respect Care Givers. Caregiver Statistics: 1 in 5 Americans is a Caregiver. Caregiver Statistics: 1 in 5 Americans is a Caregiver! https://respectcaregivers.org/caregiverstatistics/ Wong, Claudia. February 14, 2022. Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Caring for the Caregiver. Five Self-care Tips to Thrive. Caring for the Caregiver: 5 Self-Care Tips to Thrive (pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org)
KEEPING RECORDS TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL 4-H YEAR! Note taking will help you when it comes time to transfer your work to your Record books are used in Achievement Record page. 4-H and other organizations 3. Document saved to keep track of the work that goes into a project. You receipts, pictures of you and your projects, and want your record book to showcase the work that you any other documents that go with your project in a have accomplished. Here folder or binder with clear are some tips for making the most out of your record protector sheets. 4. Be thorough and keeping: complete. Make sure 1. Start early! The work you do can start as soon as to follow directions you get your animal or start and answer questions completely. If you don’t your project. understand a section, ask 2. Take Notes! Whether for help. you are keeping a journal, 5. Review last year’s keeping records on your record book and reflect on phone, or using other challenges and wins from options make sure it is previous years. This may always nearby when give you some thoughts on working on your project. lessons learned or goals Submitted by Barbara Moran, 4-H Program Manager
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you had set. Learning to keep thorough records is a skill that can be utilized in many aspects of your life. Start early and keep records in your style, for records can be useful when talking to potential buyers or presentations or your project. Consider sharing some of your own tips from your experience with other 4-H members or club meetings.
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DHI Report:
March
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LEADING WITH INTENT: REVIEWING THE STATE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ON NONPROFIT BOARDS Submitted by Colleen Monaghan, Executive Director
One of BoardSource’s fundamental principles regarding board leadership and governance is that “context matters” — that boards should assess opportunities, strategies, and action plans within the context and ecosystems in which boards operate rather than approach their work as if they function “within a vacuum.” The findings in this report indicate that: 1. Boards may be getting slightly more diverse, but they are far from representing the communities they serve. This finding prompts questions such as: a. Who are the people who currently comprise boards? What skills, expertise, cultural/ethnic backgrounds, and lived experiences do they bring? b. How do all of these factors impact the way that board members view their roles, their perspectives on (and knowledge of ) their communities, and how they make decisions and prioritize their work? 2. Board recruitment
practices are not aligned with diversity goals — which leads us to ask, “What does this indicate about how boards view the importance of board diversity within the context of other traits, competencies, and areas of expertise for which boards recruit?” 3. Boards that include people of color are more likely to have adopted DEI practices than boards that do not include people of color — prompting us to ask, “Do boards that include people of color fundamentally view their work differently than boards that do not include people of color?” Context also matters, of course, on a more “macro” level, and we must note that the data in this study were collected prior to at least three major societal events and phenomena that have impacted the way that we engage in the racial inequity conversation in this country: • The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. • The tragic murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Extension Connection
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people at the hands of law enforcement. • The insurrection (led by white supremacists) that took place at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Each of these incidents has shaken our country to its core, and forced us to be more intentional in centering racial equity in our conversations, strategies, and action plans to improve ourselves, our boards, our communities, and our society. Would our study have yielded different results if we were conducting the study now vs. prior to the three “society-altering” events we’ve noted? We do not know, but we believe it is fair to say that each of these incidents has caused nonprofit sector leaders to see the issue of racial inequity in a new light — because the context of the world around us has changed. What They Found Boards may be getting more diverse, but they are far from representing the communities they serve. While the study does not have a steady sample and therefore comparisons to past surveys are challenging, Page 17
it is encouraging that the boards surveyed in 2019 included a higher percentage of people of color than in the most recent study (22% versus 16% in 2017). That said, only 38 percent of executives felt that their boards represented the communities they serve, and 66 percent of executives expressed dissatisfaction with their boards’ racial and ethnic diversity. It is also noteworthy that only 29% of board chairs felt that their boards represented the communities they serve, and 45% of board chairs expressed dissatisfaction with the boards’ racial and ethnic diversity.
results, including the following: • Chief executives appear to be more dissatisfied than board chairs regarding their boards’ lack of racial and ethnic diversity. • All-white boards may struggle to change. • Some boards are reluctant to change wellestablished recruitment policies and practices. • Boards are willing to change but don’t know where to find diverse candidates.
may identify individuals from other organizations who exhibit the ethnic diversity, skills sets, areas of expertise and range of lived experiences that would enhance your board • Engaging the full board — challenge every board member to be intentional in expanding their personal outreach and ambassadorship to diverse potential board candidates
Takeaways for Further Consideration We believe that the What Can We Do? key issue here is • Posting diversityintentionality — our focused board searches findings indicate that the on sites that attract more diverse the board, individuals with a passion the greater the likelihood for volunteering such as that the board has Takeaways for Further volunteermatch.org and been intentional about Consideration boardmemberconnect. identifying the desired It may seem surprising com and on sites that board composition. (and disappointing) that attract a broader range We recommend that the sector’s progress in of potential board boards exhibit their becoming more diverse candidates such as intentionality in three has been relatively LinkedIn or Indeed.com primary ways: minor, given the data • Connecting with local • Identification of indicating that most chapters of ethnicallythe desired board executives feel that the focused professional and composition boards do not represent civic associations such • Implementation of a the communities and as the National Black pla to reach the desired are dissatisfied with Chamber of Commerce, competition their boards’ racial and the Hispanic National ethnic diversity. Based on Bar Association, and • Monitoring of progress Leading with Intent data toward the board the National Black MBA and broader insights composition goals set by Association from BoardSource’s the board • Engaging staff work in the nonprofit members — particularly Source: A Summary of BoardSource’s sector, we believe there those who are involved Leading with Intent: Reviewing the State are several factors that of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on in external outreach and could be impacting these Nonprofit Boards, June 2021 Page 18
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Notify CCE Sullivan if you have a change of address: 845-292-6180 sullivan@cornell.edu
