It’s easy to make a human case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). NEOEDD also makes a business case—if a business, municipality, or region is not doing everything it can to attract, include and support people from diverse ethnic, racial, religious, gender-identifying, sexual orientation, or dis/ability groups, then it is not reaching its full potential as either an employer or as a supplier of a good or service. Read the testimonials of area nonprofits about the value of their DEI training experiences here.
NEOEDD, with financial support from Meyer Memorial Trust, has worked to promote DEI within its own organization as well as within the community at large, by hosting a series of workshops for nonprofit employees, inviting the public to conversations sponsored by Oregon Humanities, and encouraging its board of directors to form a DEI committee.
The board approved the following statement in March 2019:
“NEOEDD board and staff have a variety of experiences and perceptions about how diversity, inequity, and exclusion impact our region. We are committed to honest dialogue that encourages our staff and board members to reflect, listen, and learn from one another’s experiences in order to further understand the disparities in our communities and economy. We recognize that we can learn from people in our region and other nonprofits, and will seek out resources and data that can help us examine our assumptions and whether our stated values are reflected in the operations, activities, and leadership of NEOEDD.”
Resources
“Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter for Nonprofits” https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/why-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-matter-nonprofits
“Why Does White Fragility Show Up at Workplace Diversity Trainings?” http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/why-does-white-fragility-show-up-at-workplace-diversity-trainings-20180716?
“Why Can’t I Just Exist: Code-Switching in the Art World” https://racc.org/2018/06/13/why-cant-i-just-exist-code-switching-in-the-art-world/
White Supremacy Culture Checklist https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html
Microaggressions Training Slides 42-Page PDF