Preview findings from Boards Count!, a census of Latino nonprofit board inclusion on more than 550 nonprofit boards in the Los Angeles region and throughout California.

Published by Latinos LEAD, Boards Count! is the first-ever independent tabulation of Latinos nonprofit board members at nearly 1,500 nonprofit organizations in 19 major metropolitan areas. Boards Count! will be updated annually to measure progress toward greater Latino engagement in nonprofit leadership. 

Boards Count! Highlights – Los Angeles & California 

• Latinos make up 11% of the 3,227 board members at 202 Los Angeles-are nonprofits
• There are no Latinos at all serving on 36% of Los Angeles nonprofit boards 
• At 556 California nonprofits, we counted 847 Latinos (or 10.6%) among 7,983 board members 
• No Latinos were found on 223 (or 40.1%) of the nonprofit boards reviewed in California 

California’s Nonprofit Sector – Economic Engine & Public Sector Partner 

• In 2019, there were 27,317 nonprofits in California with 1.2 million employees 
• Nonprofits rank as the third largest by wages among the state’s key industries; employing more than finance and insurance, wholesale trade, or construction
• 5,888 California nonprofits collected taxpayer funds in 2019; in 2016 public sector grants and contracts made up 30% of all nonprofit revenue
• $8.7 billion in federal funds was paid through California state and local governments (2019); with billions more every year in from state and local governments

Nonprofit organizations collect billions directly from taxpayers through federal, state, and local grants and contracts. Taxpayers further subsidize the nonprofit sector indirectly through tax exemptions and donor taxable income deductions. Board members oversee the financial health, strategic direction, and monitor the impact of services at these nonprofit organizations. 

Latinos LEAD helps nonprofits serve as responsible stewards of taxpayer funding through transparency, accountability, and authentic inclusion. 

We hope to see you at this important and unique event