The Mission

The New Philanthropists is a pioneering organization that works to create more racially diverse and inclusive nonprofit boards in Austin. Our mission is to build a pipeline to leadership for people of color, cultivate diversity and inclusiveness among mainstream nonprofit boards, and enable nonprofits to be more effective stewards of public trust and produce better outcomes for the people they serve.

Notable Statistics

84%

of board members report as Caucasian*

27%

of all organizations reported that their boards have zero people of color on their board*

60%

of national nonprofits serve populations
of color**

48%

of Austin/Round Rock MSA is made up of people of color***

*Source: BoardSource’s 2017 report “Leading with Intent” which included a survey of 1,300 nonprofit boards across the country.
**Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation
***Source: 2010 United States Census

Our Guiding Principles

Our objectives involve the community and its leaders in order to progress towards equity in the nonprofit sector.

Valuing the Whole Person

A board member is more than their financial gift. TNP believes people representing racial and ethnic groups have valuable, real-world insights and contributions to bring to the organization.

Change Takes Work

TNP believes that boards and prospects must assess their readiness for diversity and inclusion, and that self-assessment can enlighten the path toward change.

Relationships Matter

Effective board recruitment has always relied on relationships, and that holds true for prospects of color. Organizations and individuals must align in order to make a successful match.