Hartford Foundation Helping Nonprofits Diversify Board Makeup

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

HARTFORD, CT — A city-based nonprofit foundation is working to help other nonprofits find diverse members for its boards of directors.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is collaborating with the SEAT (Skill, Educate, Act, Transform) Program to help nonprofits further diversify boards and enhance community representation, the foundation said recently.

The SEAT Program invites community residents of color to participate in the program, which will provide them build the skills needed to serve on a local nonprofit board.

During the 10-week training program, participants will learn what it means to be a member of a nonprofit board and the expectations and responsibilities of board members.

“The SEAT Program allows community residents who may otherwise not have thought about serving on a nonprofit board to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to participate in the program in order to affect change in their community,” said Meher Shulman of the Hartford Foundation’s Nonprofit Support Program.

Kim Bianca Burgess, SEAT’s curriculum author and lead trainer, said “We are delighted to partner with the Hartford Foundation to deliver our SEAT program, now in its fourth year."

"This partnership enables us to educate Black and Latine community residents from the Hartford area in various aspects of board service, including decision-making, professional board engagement, and board governance. Thus, creating a new qualified pool of board members poised to engage in board service through the community resident lens.”

The program has been offered in four cities in Connecticut: Bridgeport, Waterbury, Norwalk, New Haven, and in Philadelphia, Pa.

It is being brought to the Hartford region for the first time with the support of the Hartford Foundation.

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns.

Community residents of color interested in participating in the SEAT Program beginning Sept. 17 can apply here. Nonprofits interested in applying to add a community resident to their board should contact Dorothy Adams at nonprofitboards@seatct.org. The Hartford Foundation will prioritize nonprofits that align most closely with its strategic priorities.