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Many resources exist to help even small nonprofits with their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, but experts assert that a deeper culture change is necessary to confront systemic barriers within the nonprofit world itself.
“Nonprofits who are, in theory, serving our most marginalized communities actually have their own unique work to do,” said Rhonda Broussard, the CEO of an equity-based consulting group in New Orleans.
These organizations need to “name and center systemic racism and systemic marginalization and not just try to — quote — ‘fix the people,’” she said.
People of color are underrepresented in leadership positions in the sector, even though they have similar leadership qualifications as white people and more interest in leadership positions, according to a 2020 report by the Building Movement Project, which surveyed more than 5,000 paid staff in the nonprofit sector.
Marcus Littles, founder and senior partner of Frontline Solutions, a racial justice consulting group in Washington, D.C., said nonprofits are eager to avoid being seen as out-of-step on issues of race and diversity. But, he added, that hasn’t translated into more people of color in positions of leadership and governance.
“It is necessary for nonprofit institutions …[to have] an explicit strategy to undo the formidable and structural hold that white supremacy has on how we do things,” said Littles. “There is a set of unlearning that all of our do-good institutions need to do, that, like, our intentions do not equal positive impact in communities of color, right?”
DEI in the nonprofit workplace
Another problem: People of color sometimes leave nonprofits soon after they’re hired due to exclusionary and inequitable workplace cultures.
White privilege manifests in nonprofit workplaces in many ways, some more subtle than others. White leaders who rely on their own connections to fill positions often hire people who look like they do. White advantage is also reflected in mentorship opportunities and promotions that favor white people, as well as racialized slights, called microaggressions, that may go unnoticed by white leadership.
White dominance can also be reflected in workplace cultures that tokenize people of color. For example, employees or volunteers of color are sometimes asked to appear in promotional materials or to attend events and meetings where leadership would like to highlight diversity, but are not asked to meaningfully contribute to or lead the organization’s real work.
That’s why diversity initiatives alone won’t drive change, experts say.
“There’s a whole discussion about [how] it’s not OK to just bring people with diverse experiences to the organization,” said Luisa Marie Boyarski, associate director of Georgetown University’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership.
“They need to feel that they’re part of the organization and that what they’re offering is really valued,” Boyarski said. “So this isn’t about bringing them in and having them assimilate to your culture; it’s about changing your culture so that your culture is open and supportive and excited about these new perspectives that you’re bringing in. That takes a lot of work.”
The work of achieving transformation starts with dialogue, said Joyce James, an equity consultant and former government caseworker in Texas.
“The first piece that has to happen is a willingness to be vulnerable and transparent enough to come together around the discussion, specifically on institutional and structural racism so that out of that comes a common definition, a common understanding, and common language that takes the discussion to the root cause of the problem,” James said.
The dialogue should define and explore the meaning behind what has become a buzzword: DEI.
Broussard, who trains organizations in DEI, said while most people easily grasp the concepts of diversity and equity, inclusion often falls victim to what she described as “soft paternalism,” particularly among youth-serving organizations.
“That’s the part that gets harder … to talk about inclusion, particularly shared voice and shared power,” she said. “If I think I can make better decisions than young people can for themselves, then we’re in this pretty harmful cycle, particularly as nonprofit leaders.”
The Toolbox
- Start with conversation. Define terms and use inclusive language so everyone in the organization understands the reasons for choosing certain words over others. The YWCA’s Social Justice Glossary is a free resource.
- If your organization works with young people, give them opportunities to participate in the conversation and share their perspectives.
- Address systemic racism, the root cause of the homogeneity, inequity and exclusion in the sector and across society. Consider professional training to facilitate conversations.
- Use data to assess your organization. Some free assessment toolkits are available from Survey Monkey, the D5Coalition, Racial Equity Tools, Beloved Community, and others.
- Diversify boards of directors to accelerate an organization’s overall diversity efforts.
- Consider accessibility in choosing the location of an office or headquarters. Is it reachable by public transit? Is it wheelchair accessible?
- Reconsider traditional qualifications, like degrees, in the hiring and recruitment process. Avoid turning away people who can do the job but don’t have certain credentials.
- Reach out to professional organizations that represent people of color.
- Recruit from historically Black colleges and universities, as well as other colleges with diverse student bodies.
- Offer paid internships to attract and retain young people who cannot afford to work for free while building their resume.
- Cultivate a sense of belonging in your organization and demonstrate cultural competence — the ability to understand, appreciate and interact with people from various cultures.
- Remember that equity often requires unequal support to compensate for structural and historical disadvantages.
- Facilitate ongoing conversation with internal staff and people the organization serves.
- Consider bringing in an outsider to assess your organization. Whole Whale, a nonprofit consulting firm, created a list of companies and consultants that help nonprofits apply DEI across their organizations.
- Borrow good ideas. Organizations with fewer resources can look at equity statements and action plans published by larger organizations, such as this one by the Tides Foundation, or the model equity statement put out by Americans for the Arts.
- National Council of Nonprofits offers a suite of articles on diversity, equity and inclusion at nonprofits and free resources and tools to apply the principles across nonprofits, along with questions to consider during the process.
