University of Notre Dame Launches New Program to Increase Women’s Participation on Nonprofit Boards

The Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana is launching a new initiative aimed at increasing gender diversity on nonprofit boards. The BRITE (Board Readiness Initiative to Empower) Women Project seeks to equip women with the skills they need to provide transformational nonprofit board leadership that benefits their communities.

“Many women have extensive professional leadership experience that would be a great asset to a nonprofit board, yet they may be uncertain about how to leverage those skills to obtain a seat at the table,” said Joan McClendon, operations program director for Nonprofit Professional Development. “The objective of BRITE is to help women broaden their understanding about nonprofit boards and how they might participate.”

The new program recently held a Networking Night Out, which consisted of a panel discussion featuring experts who offered participants on how to build their nonprofit resume. The upcoming BRITE Women Boot Camp in October is a certificate program that includes four professional development sessions on financial, managerial, and communications topics that are critical to effective board service. In addition to offering educational opportunities to women, the BRITE Women Project is working to create a resource to connect nonprofits seeking women board members with women who are interested in serving.

“This is another way we are living out our mission to be a force for good, by improving how nonprofit boards operate,” said McClendon. “We are thankful for the support of Mendoza’s new dean, Martijn Cremers. He listened to our vision for our game-changing project, and his leadership caused the vision to be a reality.”