A recent survey of the twenty largest nonprofits in the Twin Cities metro area shows that all had at least two women on their boards, and all but one reported some ethnic diversity, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal reports.

Eleven of the nonprofits represented in the survey, which was conducted by the Business Journal, had more than two people of color on their boards, while nine organizations reported that more than 30 percent of their board members were women. A much larger survey of 383 organizations in September 2003 by the YWCA of Minneapolis found that 43 percent of the board members affiliated with survey respondents were women, while 16 percent were people of color. In that survey, almost a third of the nonprofits reported no board members of color.

Among their recommendations, the authors of the YWCA study suggested that if nonprofits are going to continue and/or increase their commitment to board diversity, they will need to consider larger pools of people. To help organizations meet that challenge, the YWCA of Minneapolis has started the Leadership Registry, a list of women and people of color interested in board service that's available for a nominal fee to nonprofits in the Twin Cities area.

"By 2030, there will be 43 percent people of color living in Hennepin County alone," said Mercy Olson Ward, public policy coordinator for the YWCA. "Now is the time to make sure the level of diversity on your board reflects the level of diversity in the community. Boards that are not reflective of their community will have a hard time addressing the needs of their community."