As an executive director (ED) of a non-profit, building a strong, collaborative relationship with your board of directors is crucial. Many EDs hesitate to communicate openly with their board due to fear of a perceived power differential, but it's essential to remember that while you report to them, no one else does. You are in charge of your staff and operations. If you’re doing your job well, the board will respect and support your leadership. They are looking to you to lead and to structure their role so that they can make a meaningful contribution without it taking too much of their time and energy (they are volunteers which means they generally have lots of other obligations! and this is important to remember as it works in your favor.)

While gender is increasingly understood as a spectrum and social construct, the binary framework of masculinity and femininity remains deeply embedded in cultural norms. Traditionally masculine qualities—such as assertiveness, competitiveness, and decisiveness—continue to dominate perceptions of effective leadership. However, these qualities alone are insufficient for the complex challenges of modern leadership, making it essential to examine the shadow and light of both masculine and feminine traits.

Where do Jews fit in DEI conversations? This blog explores the complexities of Jewish identity in diversity, equity, and inclusion spaces, challenging assumptions and addressing the erasure of Jewish voices. Through personal reflection and real-life stories, it examines how oversimplifications undermine the core values of DEI and calls for a more inclusive approach that honors all lived experiences. Dive in to uncover how we can evolve the conversation to truly embrace empathy, compassion, and the richness of our collective diversity.

In tense moments, the question “Is it because I’m White?” (or Black, Latino, or Asian) often comes up when race seems to explain what's happening. While race plays a role, it’s usually not the whole story.

In recent years, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has become a focal point in workplaces, schools, and communities across the nation. But for DEI and racial equity to truly succeed, it’s essential to go beyond conversations and implement practices that support healing and embodiment. Why? Because the stress of racism and discord impacts everyone’s health—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Identity acknowledgment without behavior change is a dead end. BSF CEO Kathryn Leigh Goetz reflects honestly on what it means to lead as a white woman in racial equity work, and the difference between leading from privilege and leading as an ally.

Eighteen months of conversations, World Cafés, and Appreciative Inquiry led to our 2020-2025 strategic plan that charts BSF's next chapter and makes youth development a core programmatic priority for the first time. Here's how our process of Discovery, Dreaming, and Designing plan together and what it means for the organization.

As a privileged white woman in a position of power and authority, committed to diversity, inclusion and radical co-creation, CEO Co-founder and CEO, Kathyn, was trying to sit this one out. “Let actions speak louder than words,” she thought. But watching the "parent engagement through a lens of equity" conversation cycle through the field for 30 years without moving the needle? Her response breaks down what economic, political, and social equity actually look like in practice — and why BSF stopped treating them as aspirational and started treating them as operational.

In May 2019, BSF's Board of Directors voted unanimously to amend its bylaws to give Regional Parent Engagement Advisory Groups direct board representation, welcoming four new members in the process. A milestone moment for grassroots-driven governance.