What Happens When Everyone at the Table Looks the Same

I’ve been thinking a lot about equity in fundraising. Maybe that sounds like a buzzword these days, but it’s a real, structural issue that directly affects whether organizations actually grow.

When I’m asked what the single biggest equity barrier is in non-profit fundraising today, my answer is simple and uncomfortable: homogeneity in decision-making power.

In far too many organizations, the people setting fundraising strategy, approving campaigns, and defining what “success” looks like all come from the same narrow background: Predominantly white and predominantly male. Often from similar socioeconomic circles.

When everyone at the table looks the same, fundraising suffers.

The cost of narrow decision-making

Let’s talk about what actually happens when decision-making power is concentrated in one cultural lens.

First, messaging misses the mark. If the people shaping your appeals, campaigns, and priorities all share the same lived experience, your messaging will naturally reflect that. It may resonate deeply with people who look like them and completely fall flat with everyone else.

Second, networks stay small. Wealth and influence circulate within familiar circles. Boards recruit people they already know. Major donors refer people just like themselves. The result is that organizations keep fishing in the same small donor pond, over and over again.

Third, hiring practices reinforce the problem. When leadership looks the same, they tend to hire people who feel familiar. That limits innovation and creates cultures that are not authentic or welcoming to people from different backgrounds.

This isn’t hypothetical. I see it constantly. And the outcome is predictable.

Organizations unintentionally exclude communities of color, immigrant communities, younger donors, LGBTQ donors, and values-driven philanthropists who want to give differently. Not because those communities lack generosity, but because no one in power is building strategies with them in mind.

Board equity is a growth strategy

Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough. Creating equity in fundraising is not just the right thing to do—it’s a real growth strategy.

When decision-making remains homogeneous, organizations cap their own revenue potential. They limit who feels seen, heard, and invited into the mission. They define philanthropy through one cultural framework and then wonder why growth stalls. Equity is structural. If you do not change who holds power, you cannot change outcomes.

One of the clearest places this shows up is at the board level. Many non-profit boards remain overwhelmingly white and male, even when the communities they serve are not.

Diversifying your board is not symbolic. It directly affects how decisions are made, what risks are taken, and which communities are prioritized. A diverse board leads to stronger governance and better fundraising outcomes because it reflects the full ecosystem of people who care about your mission.

If your organization needs help thinking through board recruitment and structure, groups like The Board Pro can be a helpful resource. But the real work starts with intention and accountability.

What happens when the table changes

When decision-making becomes more representative, the messaging gets sharper and more authentic. New donor networks open up. Organizations stop chasing the same limited pool of donors and start building real relationships across communities.

As innovation increases, trust deepens and revenue grows.

When everyone at the table looks the same, you only see part of the picture. If you want your fundraising to reflect the full generosity of the world around you, start by changing who gets to decide what fundraising looks like in the first place.