The work of the Thirty Percent Coalition includes devising and implementing strategies that can help move the needle in ways that all of us working separately have been unable to do. The work is done by several committees.

The most active group has been the Institutional Investor committee. The Committee has sent three rounds of letters to a list of major public companies that have no women on their boards. The third letter was signed by about 75 signatories, including a variety of institutional investors and state treasurers with approximately $3 trillion in assets under management, as well as representatives of national women’s organizations.
Such a coalition has never before been put together to communicate with public companies. The Coalition’s institutional investors have followed up with those companies who did not respond in any positive way by filing shareholder resolutions. Following this letter writing campaign and constructive dialogue between the company and its shareholders, more than 100 companies have now appointed women to their boards.

The Corporate Leaders committee is working to mobilize forward thinking corporate leaders (CEOs, Board Chairs, Chief Diversity Officers) to become active in advocating with their peers for gender diversity on boards. The committee has recently been instrumental in launching a Champions of Change initiative here in the US, for which a press release announcing the initiative can be found in the news section of the website.

Lastly, the Coalition has a Public Sector Initiatives committee, exploring what we can do on the government and public officials’ side to include those who are sympathetic to the Coalition’s mission and who will endorse our efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Thirty Percent Coalition

What is the Thirty Percent Coalition?

   The Thirty Percent Coalition is a unique and groundbreaking national organization of more than 80 members committed to the goal of women, including women of color, holding 30% of board seats across public companies.
   Our vision is corporate boardrooms that reflect the gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the United States workforce.
   The Coalition, founded in late 2011 by a broad range of leaders and organizations, believes that by working together members can reinforce their own efforts and have greater power to change the composition of the boardroom.

Who are the members of the Coalition?

   The Coalition includes public companies, private equity firms, institutional investors, professional service firms, national women's and other nonprofit organizations, government officials, academics, and individual leaders for the first time working together to drive the pace of change. All member organizations are represented by someone who is committed to gender diverse boards and is in a position to speak on behalf of the organization.
   Among our members are: companies and professional firms that have taken leadership in advancing workplace diversity; organizations who have spent years supporting women's leadership; nonprofits committed to improved corporate governance; institutional investors, including public officials, who are concerned about the governance of companies whose stock they hold; and individuals who have track records of leadership in gender diversity.
   Our membership has almost tripled since we began and continues to grow.

Why do members join the Coalition and what are the benefits of joining the Coalition?

   First and foremost, members join because they believe that increasing the representation of women on corporate boards is an essential part of good business strategy and represents best practices that have been demonstrated to correlate with bottom-line benefits and improved governance.
   They believe board gender diversity is critical to maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. companies on a global stage.
   They also believe that there is an adequate supply of women ready to assume a role in the corporate boardroom and that we have to act to open the door for the many talented women who are qualified to be corporate board directors

The benefits of membership include:

Recognition of your commitment to gender diversity by many different audiences
Networking to share best practices and tap varied resources
Opportunity to work collaboratively
Advocacy that amplifies your voice

Does the Coalition differ from other nonprofits or women's organizations promoting gender diversity on boards?

   Though there are many organizations working on corporate governance and/or women's leadership, including board diversity, the Thirty Percent Coalition is unique in its focus, structure, and ability to engage a cross-section of those who care about our issue.
   We are focused on board gender diversity and, in particular, on the demand side of board diversity – influencing corporations to strengthen their efforts to increase the number of women on their boards. We believe that, without a demand by corporations for appointing women, change will not occur. Others, including many of our members, are working on the supply side – helping to prepare women for board service and on related initiatives to increase the number of women in the executive suite. We do not seek to duplicate the work of our members.
   We are a true collaboration, using the collective clout of our members and leveraging the power of our diverse membership to work on significant joint initiatives.
   We also reinforce and support the important work being done by Coalition members individually. A large number of the leading women's and nonprofit organizations concerned with gender diversity on boards are our members.
There is no other organization of this kind in the United States.

Do you think quotas are the answer? Are you supporting a 30% goal, or quota?

   We are not supporting a quota and don't think that is the answer for the United States. Our focus is to improve the gender diversity in U.S. boardrooms so that women are well represented in every boardroom. We believe that change is not happening fast enough.
   When the Coalition formed in late 2011, it set a goal of 30% women across public company boards so progress could be measured. The Coalition hoped to approximately double the percentage of women serving on boards from what was then approximately 15-16% of combined major public company board members.
   The Coalition does not advocate for a quota for individual companies.

What commitments are required of members?

Annual Membership contributions support our programs but some members contribute at sponsor levels beyond the membership dues. The different categories of membership include:

Corporate Partners
Governments Officials
Institutional Investors
Individual members
Professional Service Firms
Women’s Orgs/Nonprofits

There are no “formal” commitments beyond the annual membership contribution. However, we encourage engagement through participation on one of our working committees and through attendance at our annual Summit and an additional meeting to share best practices.

What has the Coalition accomplished?

   The Coalition employs three major strategies for exerting power and influence that are compatible with U.S. preferences and practices. Three committees each pursue one of those strategies and have seen important results.
   The Institutional Investors Committee has communicated with companies with no women directors and worked collaboratively with many of them to make changes to corporate governance charters and to make enhanced efforts to recruit women directors. As of October, 2015, 62 of the targeted companies have elected women to their boards.
   The Public Sector Initiatives Committee is working with key Coalition members and other public officials to support passage of state, city, and federal resolutions encouraging diverse gender representation on corporate boards. A second strategy seeks legislation that requires bidders for public contracts to disclose board diversity data and report on plans for improvement. The Committee also communicates with the SEC in support of improved disclosure requirements.
   The Corporate Leaders Committee is mobilizing business leaders to use their influence by publicly advocating for change and privately talking with their peers. Champions of Change (CEOs, Board Chairs, Lead Directors and Chairs and members of nominating committees) have developed a Charter that gives a roadmap for other corporate leaders to follow. The Committee is also mobilizing key corporate executives such as chief diversity and chief legal officers, who can influence not only their own boards but also their peers in other companies.

How is the Coalition structured?

The Coalition is a 501(c)3 corporation, governed by a board elected from the membership. An Executive Director works closely with the board and committees that carry out the Coalition's work.

How to join the Thirty Percent Coalition?

Please contact Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane, Executive Director, at [email protected].