Have you thought about that?
As you read and watch Ferguson and NYC and every next killing or unemployment or poor education or or …
Are you looking at your own nonprofit organization? Are you looking at student enrollment in your schools? Are you looking at the audiences for your arts and cultural activities?
And how about board composition? And how about staff composition?
Do you TALK ABOUT THIS REGULARLY in your organization? Do you say things like: “No more white people for our board? It’s time to reach out more and better!”
Do you TALK ABOUT THIS REGULARLY in your organization? And make sure that if you have lots of white people on staff – you make darn sure that future hires are African American and Latino and Asian and… Do you intentionally look for qualified staff that aren’t white?
Do you have a formal diversity program and leadership development program in your organization?
Do you regularly evaluate your diversity and define your diversity and explore how it feels to be diverse and marginalized? Do you talk about race/ethnicity and gender and generation and physical and mental challenges and socioeconomic status and class and sexual identity and sexual orientation and and and ….
Do you work desperately hard to ensure cultural competence in your organization? Do you work desperately hard to create a diverse, inclusive, welcoming community and work place and society and country and world?
If not, why not?
Thanks to the Nonprofit Quarterly for stimulating this particular blog – with their article: “The Nonprofit Sector Has a Ferguson Problem”. And if you’re an AFP member, check out all the recently-compiled diversity resources in the AFP Resource Center.
