BoardSource’s survey in connection with the upcoming Leading with Intent report remains open to responses through August 31, 2026.
Leading with Intent (LWI) is BoardSource’s signature research initiative on nonprofit board leadership since 1994. BoardSource provides data and trends on board composition, structure, practices, and leadership dynamics across the sector.
We are pleased to share that the 2026 Leading with Intent Survey is now open and we are seeking participation from nonprofit board chairs and chief executives. The data will inform briefs, reports, and practical governance resources for the sector.
Join us in shaping the future of nonprofit board leadership.
Key Findings from Leading with Intent 2024*
* from the Dashboards
Who Serves on the Board Matters
- Boards that are more diverse believe that their diversity positively affects their ability to understand the community and the organization’s ecosystem
- Board member recruitment is difficult or very difficult, because of a limited supply of interested individuals, a lack of individuals with the desired skill set, and the time commitment associated with board service
- Most nonprofits recruit from current or former program participants (first-time result on this metric)
- BIPOC executives have lower levels of personal job satisfaction (for some, the board contributed to this negative feeling)
How Boards Understand Their Work
- Boards do not spend enough time on understanding their roles and responsibilities even though consider this very important
- Boards with a better understanding of their role spend more time on strategic and future-focused work
- Boards are not spending enough time on gaining knowledge of the organization’s programs and building relationships with the community
What Boards Prioritize
- Boards rate themselves strongest in oversight and mission stewardship
- Boards are not strong in fundraising and ensuring resources
- Organizations that prioritized purpose when making decisions reported a more positive impact of the board
- Nonprofits that placed greater emphasis on board diversity had more diverse boards and board leadership
Takeaways from Leading with Intent 2024
- Boards identify strategy as their highest governance priority (not fundraising)
- Purpose-driven governance is replacing compliance-driven governance
- Boards are not sufficiently connected to the communities served by their nonprofits (but they are now identifying this as a problem)
- Board composition should reflect governance needs (including community representation) and not just professional expertise and prestige
- Board culture impacts its effectiveness
Key Findings from Leading with Intent 2021
- Boards are disconnected from the communities and people they serve
- Boards that prioritize fundraising above all else when it comes to the board’s role do so at the expense of organizational strategy, relevance and impact
- Board and executives should reflect on what is prioritized in terms of board expectations and how time is spent
- The board chair’s leadership in ensuring that there are clear expectations of board service seem to matter most when it comes to the board’s overall culture
- Boards may be getting slightly more diverse, but they are far from representing the communities they serve.
- Board recruitment practices are not aligned with diversity goals
- Boards that include people of color are more likely to have adopted diversity, equity, and inclusion practices than boards that do not include people of color