14 Jun 5 Things Nonprofit Organizations Can Do to Celebrate Diversity

Diversity is valuable in the workplace because mixing diverse individuals leads to greater creativity and innovation and increased productivity. Having a team composed of people from varying backgrounds and languages also helps you connect to a wider audience. And when job satisfaction results in more engaged workers, the result is reduced employee turnover.

As a nonprofit, you’re more likely to connect with the communities you serve by valuing different perspectives and expressing your deep gratitude for opportunities to work in a diverse environment. Here are some ways your nonprofit can show your appreciation and celebrate diversity:

Begin with leadership

Who are the leaders of your organization? Are you like-minded individuals that come from the same ethnic background or generation? To promote a culture of diversity, you have to model it. Consider bringing in leaders that will bring fresh perspectives and new opportunities. Have diversity in mind when you write job descriptions. Develop a recruitment process that revolves around diversity and inclusion, including the way you screen resumes and how you conduct interviews.

Have meaningful conversations about diversity and inclusion

Communicate with your team about how much you value diversity and inclusion. Talk about how you can strengthen these beliefs within the organization and how you can express this message to your audience and the communities you serve. Understand one another’s unconscious biases about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and so on so that you can learn together. Continue to reinforce the importance of diversity by discussing it often, so you can continue to share ideas, educate one another, and remove discrimination.

Educate yourselves on the different cultural backgrounds

National holidays are important for reminding the public of our nation’s history. However, our country is also home to dozens of different races and cultures. Talk with your people, volunteers, and the communities you serve to understand the special holidays they enjoy and celebrate. Show your appreciation and respect for their unique culture by honoring their holidays. It can be as grand as holding festivities or as simple as a meaningful greeting on social media.

Show off your company culture

Give diversity a face. Representation matters. Leverage social media to get your positive message about diversity to your audience, supporters, donors, stakeholders, and future volunteers. Ask your employees or volunteers to take over your social media account for a day. Let them share stories about their unique cultures and backgrounds.

Continue to learn

Be authentic about your goal to diversify and create a diverse work environment. Diversity and inclusion efforts shouldn’t be leveraged as a strategy to gain a competitive edge or appeal to a wider audience. The goal should be to make genuine connections and promote the true value of diversity. Learn, along with your team, about inclusive language, overcoming unconscious biases, and asking the right questions. Don’t be so involved in proving diversity that you unconsciously exclude skilled, experienced, and passionate talent. Recognize that the path to diversification is complex. It is a journey that may take different paths and evolve over time.