Age diversity as a DEAI force multiplier
Greater age diversity has the potential to increase other forms of diversity both on the board and throughout the museum. The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy has found that boards that exhibit one type of diversity often display other types of diversity. Of note, they found a correlation between having a higher percentage of board members under 40, a higher percentage of Asian board members, and a lower percentage of white board members. In the for-profit world, women make up a larger percentage of S&P 500 board members under 50 than they do in the overall average. This might be a reflection of boards that are increasingly open to recruiting for all kinds of diversity, or it could be an indication that younger board members are demographically more diverse.
With this reasoning, a proactive approach to board age diversity might also boost the percentage of racially and ethnically diverse board members, particularly those who identify as LatinX. Pew Research Center in their analysis of Census Bureau data found that Generation Z is already the most diversegeneration in the US, with just a bare majority identifying as non-Hispanic. This suggests that a younger pool of board candidates, drawn from a more diverse population, might reflect greater racial and ethnic diversity than a pool of older candidates. Coupled with higher numbers, Gen Z Hispanics also have higher high school completion rates and are more likely to be enrolled in college than previous generations; this trend is seen with African-Americans as well, but to a lesser extent. As a result, not only will there be more Hispanics from which to choose with younger generations, they also will be more likely to have developed the necessary skills to succeed in the workforce and on a board than previous generations of Hispanics. The biggest obstacle will remain bias against the potential contributions of this underrepresented group.
One data point for consideration is that 60% of high net worth Hispanic households volunteer, compared with less than half of other groups. This suggests that museums might need to factor in cultural differences in how Hispanics prioritize the value of their contributions to nonprofit organizations. Interestingly, the percentage of Hispanics on arts boards is the lowest in the sector at 2.7%, compared with 3.4% to 9.5% in other nonprofit subsectors.
One step in the right direction might be getting more Hispanics employed at museums. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in its 2018 and 2015 surveys of art museum staff found that the number of Hispanic employees increased by 119% during that time period, as compared with a 37% increase for Asian employees and 19% for African American employees. That said, the number of Hispanics in curatorial, education, conservation, and executive positions increased at a much slower rate of 19% compared with a 62% increase for African Americans and 43% increase for Asians.
As the demographics in the US shift toward more Hispanics who are better educated, engaged with art, and committed to investing time into the organizations they care about, a strategy by art museums to recruit younger board members has the potential to increase the representation of Hispanics in senior leadership positions.
