The color of nonprofit leadership: Nonprofits with a CEO of color

This study examines how a set of organizational characteristics relates to a nonprofit's likelihood of having a chief executive officer (CEO) of color, focusing on board diversity, revenue streams, risk aversion, and organizational capacity. The analysis of 2150 501(c)(3) organizations with the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency reveals a positive association between board racial diversity and having a minority CEO, with the likelihood of having a CEO of color increasing by 1.1% when the proportion of racial minorities on the board increases by 1%. Findings also show that the likelihood of having a CEO of color increases with the number of paid staff and that environmental and animal‐focused organizations are less likely to have a CEO of color. Overall, the findings suggest that building a racially diverse board is key to improving the racial diversity of nonprofit executive leadership.