Who’s Missing From Your Boardroom?

Boards shape the culture, values and impact of every charity. But in the arts, culture and heritage sector, many boards still don’t reflect the communities that they serve. In this blog we explore how greater board diversity can strengthen governance, build trust and open new opportunities for engagement, drawing on examples of charities who are already making it work.

The Donor Gap

In recent years, UK charities have faced a troubling shift. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, in the UK, the percentage of donations from the general public has fallen from 58% in 2019, to just 50% in 2024, a loss of around four million donors. This decline signals that fewer people feel connected to or represented by the charities around them, with research indicating that a lack of trust, especially among younger donors, is a key factor in the reduction in giving.

At the same time, whole communities remain largely untapped when it comes to philanthropy and engagement. Almost one in five people in the UK are from global majority backgrounds, yet donor bases in the arts, culture and heritage sectors remain overwhelmingly white and affluent.

The Governance Gap

The truth is that most boards do not fully reflect the populations they serve. A recent report into the arts, culture and heritage workforce from the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC), suggested that around 90% of staff are white. This is true too for boards. Nationally, only 8% of trustees are from global majority backgrounds (compared to 17% of the UK population),  just 1% are under 30, and although 22% of the UK population identifies as disabled, only 5% of trustees report having a disability.

This lack of diversity can lead to blind spots in strategic decision making, as well as in developing donor and audience engagement strategies. Because governance sets the tone, culture and accountability, what happens at board level oftens shapes the success of inclusion efforts across the organisation.

Donors Give to Causes They Feel Represented By

Donors give when they feel connected. Research shows that Black, Asian, Muslim and Jewish donors often give through identity, faith or cultural traditions, but many charities lack the infrastructure or understanding to engage these groups effectively. Studies by GiveBLACK and UCL highlight that Black donors are motivated to give but are held back by a lack of trust and information within the sector. UK Muslims donate around £100 million annually during Ramadan, yet many charities are not equipped to build the cultural understandingneeded to connect with this generosity. These findings suggest that cultural awareness and representation at governance level can be key to building trust and unlocking support from a wider range of communities.

Voices of Exclusion – Why Representation Matters

Statistics only tell part of the story. First-hand accounts from trustees and charity leaders highlight how barriers of race, age and class are still felt in boardrooms today. Various accounts from women of colour in the charity sector tell of being “confused with another person of colour” or assumed to be an intern rather than a senior leader. Age is another barrier – although 85% of under-35s say they would consider trusteeship, only 0.5% of trustees are under 25. Those who do join boards often describe being dismissed with terms like “boy” or “little lady”.

There is also a notable lack of self-awareness around social class in the charity sector. Experts argue that this invisibility perpetuates a system where leadership is skewed toward those with privileged backgrounds, effectively excluding working-class individuals from boards. When voices are excluded or undervalued, organisations lose not just talent, but vital insight into the communities that they serve.

Boards That Changed and Benefitted

Some boards are already proving how powerful equity, diversity and inclusion in governance can be in strengthening strategy, community relevance and organisational resilience. Blaze Arts is a youth-led arts charity in Lancashire that embeds youth leadership into its structure. As part of its charitable constitution enacted in 2018, Blaze Arts committed to a governance model where trustees under 30 lead the organisation, in effect, centring youth voices at every level. The result is a board intimately connected to the experiences of young people, guiding work that feels both authentic and inclusive.

ActionAid embedded feminist and inclusive principles into its board structure. The result was stronger governance and an inspirational example to donors, staff and beneficiaries. Similarly, MindOUT, an LGBTQ+ mental health charity has a board that reflects the lived experiences of its service users, making the organisation more accessible and expanding its reach into refugee and migrant communities.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Trust increased ethnic diversity on its board from 0% to 7.7%. The result was not only a better reflection of its community but also a stronger mix of skills and perspectives, and the creation of a “diversity recruitment blueprint” for others to follow.

These examples all demonstrate that diverse boards don’t just look good, they work better. 

What Does This Mean for Your Board?

The examples above show that EDI in governance isn’t only about fairness, it can be a driver of trust, resilience and impact. Research suggests that donors are more likely to support organisations that reflect their communities and funders are increasingly looking for evidence of this commitment at board level.

Diverse boards are also better equipped to adapt to changing demographics and needs. They can inspire staff, volunteers and supporters with their energy and perspectives, whilst preventing echo chambers that stifle innovation. As NCVO puts it: “Making sure that your organisation has a diverse board is key to embedding the principles of good governance and allowing your organisation to prepare for the future.”

The Solution: Proper Training for Boards

But what does best practice in diverse governance actually look like?

That’s where courses like Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Governancecome in. Designed specifically for board members of arts, culture and heritage organisations, this training covers the language and principles of EDI, what diversity and inclusion in governance means in practice, the benefits of having a diverse board and the expectations of funders.

The course also explores the board’s role in leading EDI and how to measure and demonstrate impact. It offers a unique chance to learn, reflect and leave with practical steps to apply directly to your board.

Join us on 24th September for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Governance course and be part of the change.