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Nonprofit Management
May 19, 2023
As a nonprofit organization, it is essential to have a cohesive and productive team in order to efficiently achieve your mission and goals.
Read MoreAboutThe Benefits of Team Building Exercises for Nonprofit Employers
Nonprofit Management
March 28, 2023
America's charitable nonprofits serve and nurture people of every age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status—supporting at-risk communities nationwide.
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] UST Live: Cybersecurity Risk Management
Nonprofit Management
March 16, 2023
Creating a positive culture in the workplace should be a priority for every nonprofit employer. A positive work environment can help increase employee engagement, morale, an...
Read MoreAbout5 Tips for Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
Nonprofit Management
March 02, 2023
While many foundations are well on their way with going mobile, start-ups and smaller organizations may still be trying to figure out how to establish a mobile presence in a...
Read MoreAboutThe Pros and Cons of Going Mobile
Nonprofit Management
December 20, 2022
No matter where society struggles or how much change comes to your nonprofit, everything always comes down to the people who form your team and support your community.
Read MoreAboutThe Changing Landscape of the Nonprofit Workforce
Nonprofit Management
December 16, 2022
From recruiting and training to engagement and retention, your organization has likely invested a great deal of time and effort into ensuring your volunteer program is succe...
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] UST Live: Volunteer Management
Nonprofit Management
November 18, 2022
Some argue that they couldn’t prepare for the pandemic, because it was a black swan event—defined as unforeseeable.
Read MoreAboutImplementing Change to Build Resiliency
Nonprofit Management
September 30, 2022
In the latest rendition of UST Live, we were joined by thought leaders from across the U.S. with expertise in succession planning.
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] UST Live: Succession Planning and Preparedness
Nonprofit Management
September 21, 2022
Working on a team requires more than just hard work, morale amongst co-workers, and willingness to work with others. The most important yet often ignored that attributes to ...
Read MoreAboutHow to Improve Communication Strategies with Your Team

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nonprofit Organizations

While the nonprofit sector is dedicated to serving those in need, without encompassing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their governance and operations, they risk becoming irrelevant. It has been proven that organizations with more diverse workforces perform better financially. Before strategizing a DEI plan, nonprofits must first understand where their organization is and where it wants to go. You can then track your nonprofit’s proficiency in diversity using both quantitative and qualitative metrics, diagnose risks and find opportunities for improvement. Nonprofits will also need to examine internal biases and adopt practices that promote DEI in their work and employment practices as well as on their boards, and in their communications.

Achieving diversity and inclusiveness in your workplace is a process of creating change through education, collaboration, and vigilance. When we apply equity and inclusion to all aspects of organizational structure, we take action towards ensuring that historically excluded groups are recognized, included, and heard. A diverse workplace encourages people to be more vocal, creative, and involved. Commitment to DEI can be demonstrated through governance policies, leadership, and recruitment.

Often when organizations begin diversity work, it can feel daunting trying to figure out where to start. While the process will be different for every organization, below are some things to consider when starting diversity work in your nonprofit.

  • Diversify Your Board – the majority of nonprofit organizations still lack diversity on their boards. In order to reflect the diversity of the communities you serve, it’s more crucial than ever to change the composition of your board. Working from the top down will also build commitment and trust from within the workplace.
  • Form DEI Committees – everyone needs a champion to support their dreams and efforts—this is no different in the workplace. A dedicated DEI committee can help the organization accomplish its diversity goals by planning and overseeing the strategy and will ultimately be better positioned to have big picture discussions about the organization’s DEI priorities.
  • Perform DEI Audits — a diversity audit helps organizations understand the demographics and culture of their workforce by generating evidence and data which allows them to identify the specific factors that will help create a more diverse and inclusive environment.
  • Update Your Policies – all aspects of your diversity initiatives should be incorporated in all activities and policies of the organization to ensure efforts remain ongoing—there is no end to a process that helps create diversity and supports inclusion.
  • Educate Your Workforce – for organizations to thrive in this time of social responsibility you need to be intentional about creating a race literate workforce. You can start by including race and ethnicity training in your diversity and inclusion initiatives—educated individuals are more invested.
  • Build a Race Equity Culture – starting with a clear and shared understanding of what a Race Equity Culture looks like for your nonprofit will enable you to create and sustain a culture that is focused on proactively counteracting race inequities.
  • Create Open Dialogue – allow your workforce to participate in the conversation. Host a formal event to share the organizations diversity initiatives. Having an external facilitator can help ensure discussions are both objective and effective.
  • Pursue Diverse Candidates – recruiting a diverse staff is essential to nonprofit sustainability. It also gives an organization a competitive advantage while also creating more engagement and greater productivity.
  • Utilize Diverse Suppliers – in an effort to strengthen your diversity initiatives and combat social injustice, nonprofits should utilize diversified suppliers and community partners. Both can be a cornerstone to success, helping to ethically and efficiently source products and services  

When we consider our own diversity, check our assumptions, ask questions, and apply our insights to our work, we can create change. Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as organizational values is a great way to intentionally make space for positive outcomes and will ultimately help nonprofits better serve their communities and attract a more diverse staff.

Asset Publisher

Nonprofit Finance
March 22, 2024
Although nonprofits usually have exemptions from paying taxes, they must still file tax returns each year.
Read MoreAboutHow To File Taxes for A Nonprofit
Nonprofit Finance
April 23, 2021
According to the 2021 Benchmarks Report, the average nonprofit donor contributed an average of $167 in 2020—this per-donor metric was slightly lower than 2019.
Read MoreAboutOnline Fundraising Best Practices for the New Year (and Beyond)
Nonprofit Finance
December 18, 2019
Understanding the concept of the “business model” for your nonprofit has become a more integral component to maintaining organization sustainability within the nonprofit sec...
Read MoreAboutThe Importance of Understanding Your Nonprofit's Cash Flow
Nonprofit Finance
November 14, 2019
Last year, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, which clarifies the accounting guidelines for contributions re...
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] Accounting for Nonprofit Grants and Contributions
Nonprofit Finance
October 29, 2019
Giving in the U.S. in 2020 will be different in many ways than previously—mainly because of campaigns, economic conditions, and tax law implications. Don'...
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] Trends and Forecasts for Charitable Giving
Nonprofit Finance
October 08, 2019
What is an executive director? An executive director is “responsible for overseeing the administration, the program and the strategic plan of a nonprofit organization. Other...
Read MoreAboutHow an Executive Director Becomes a Financial Leader
Nonprofit Finance
September 27, 2019
Thousands of nonprofits have registered with their states in order to legally solicit donations... do you know what state requirements extend to your organization?Presented ...
Read MoreAbout[Webinar Recording] Fundraising Registration 101
Nonprofit Finance
August 07, 2019
Nonprofit professionals face a challenging job that is made even more complex by industry dynamics and a competitive talent marketplace—requiring even more attent...
Read MoreAbout​​​​​​​[Webinar Recording] National Nonprofit Benefit Study
Nonprofit Finance
May 10, 2019
Are you familiar with the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-14 issued by FASB? It’s a standard created to offer solutions to simplify and improve how a nonprofit organi...
Read MoreAbout​​​​​​​Lessons Learned from Implementing ASU 2016-14 – Functional Expenses
Nonprofit Finance
May 01, 2019
Did you know that certain nonprofits can legally opt out of paying state unemployment taxes? Do you understand who is benefiting from this tax exemption law? In this article...
Read MoreAbout​​​​​​​The True Story of Nonprofits and Taxes

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