Every Child Matters is a charitable organization that started by a group of grandmothers who wanted to help children who slip through the cracks in social service programs. The board has raised millions of dollars supporting a variety of initiatives, including university scholarships for impoverished children who earn good grades in high school, special mobile clinics that provide free medical and dental checkups, and houses for single parents and children who have been the victims of abuse.

After twenty-five years of work, many of the original organizers have left or will soon be leaving the governing board. As current board members and co-chairs of the nominating committee, Betsy and Robby have been asked to review the charitys major donors and recommend replacements.

Betsy and Robby are proud of the charity and its achievements, and they enjoy working with a dedicated group of board members. However, the original officers and board members were all white males. Because the children served by the charity are much more divers, Betsy and Robby have been asked to seek greater diversity among potential board members. The co-chairs have been diligent in their research. They have read that diverse groups are often more effective than homogenous groups, but homogenous group members may get along better because they are more comfortable with people who are similar. Most of the Every Child Matters donors are also white, because board members sought donations from friends and people they knew well.

After coming up with only a few names in their search for new board members, Betsy and Robby make a list of several non-white people they know. Betsy recommends a Southeast Asian man who works for the agency that provides volunteer healthcare providers for the mobile clinic. Robby knows a Latino woman and an African American man at his law firm who might be willing to join. Betsy strongly recommends nominating more women. Robby counters that they already have a few women on the board and should be looking for members from different racial and ethnic groups, regardless of gender.

The co-chairs soon realize that in addition to focusing on diversity, they must consider whether candidates can assume needed roles on the board and whether they have the potential to contribute innovative ideas, valuable insights, and relevant expertise. Equally important, Betsy and Robby need to think about how the long-serving, older white board members will get along with the newcomers.

Question - What strategies should Betsy and Robby use to recruit qualified diverse members to the governing board more effectively? Explain your answer.