SEAT Program Works to Change the Face of Fairfield County’s Boardrooms

Despite working for nonprofit organizations for nearly 20 years, Tiana Brown didn’t fully grasp the scope and role that a board of directors plays in the operation and success of a mission-driven organization.

And she certainly never envisioned herself serving on one.

Yet that all changed recently when Brown joined SEAT, a new program aimed at diversifying the pool of candidates available for board service at nonprofits throughout our community.

Brown, an assistant director for Norwalk Housing Authority Learning Centers, completed the program which gave her the skills, knowledge, and confidence that she now puts into action as a board member for Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center.

Brown said the SEAT experience has also proven useful in her day-to-day work at Norwalk Housing Authority, as she now has greater insight into how and why certain decisions are made and implemented within the organization.

Uplifting Community Leaders

SEAT — which stands for Skill, Educate, Act and Transform — is designed to add new voices and perspectives to a role that has long been seen by many as exclusive to wealthy, connected, and predominantly white individuals.

Despite the United States population being only 58% white, nonprofit boards in the US remain 84% white and only 13% Black and Hispanic. Kim Bianca Burgess, founder and executive director of SEAT, has sought to change this by equipping Black and Latino residents in Connecticut for board service to community-based nonprofit organizations.

When Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF) learned about this program, it jumped at the opportunity to offer the program through its Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE). Thanks to generous funding by Wells Fargo – a longtime CNE programming partner – FCCF was able to launch Fairfield County’s first cohort of SEAT participants in Norwalk, Connecticut.

“FCCF is really passionate about creating a more equitable Fairfield County – and for us the focus is on uplifting our BIPOC communities,” said Rebecca Cordero, manager for CNE at FCCF. “We see the disparities in terms of access to resources and opportunities. And a big part of that is having representation in all levels of leadership, in all sectors.

To date, SEAT has supported over 40 Black and Latino participants, of which more than 30 have been recruited to serve on nonprofit boards across Connecticut.

‘Representation matters’

SEAT is a 10-week program that meets once a week, bringing together cohorts of community members of color looking to make a positive impact in their neighborhoods.

During the program, participants are taught the basics of nonprofit board service with hands-on training, activities to reinforce key ideas, and introductions to local nonprofit leaders looking to diversify their boards.

After the initial 10 weeks, alumni are then invited to attend bi-monthly skill development sessions providing them the opportunity to reconnect with their cohorts, meet other alumni, and continue to sharpen their skills.

Jayson-Ann Johnson, a senior regional program manager at Teach.org, is another graduate of the SEAT program and is serving on the board of Under One Roof. Johnson said the experience at SEAT affirmed the value of creating diverse boards.

Fellow graduate Tiana Brown echoed those sentiments.

“Representation matters, especially in those higher-end positions because that’s how decisions are made for Black and Brown people,” Brown said. “But they’re often not included at the table to make those decisions. The SEAT program has the potential to change that in a positive way.”