Committed to actively dismantling racism and supporting racial justice.

First, educate yourself on how racial inequity impacts individuals, organizations and communities. There are so many good resources out there between books, podcasts, videos, TED Talks, etc. that can better inform us on these issues. We as nonprofits must take a posture of genuine learning to expand our knowledge of racism’s pervasive presence in our society and deepen our understanding of the multitude of ways this impacts individuals’ lived experiences. Just as many of us invest in corporate professional development to become a better leader, manager, project manager, etc., so too must we invest in becoming a better racial justice advocate.

Second, listen. Listen when people of color share their experiences of racial injustice. If you are fortunate enough to have staff, board, volunteers, donors, or clients who are willing to tell you about their own lived experiences with racism, listen with gratitude and humility. And while we encourage listening, we don’t endorse putting the hard work of becoming an anti-racist organization on people of color. We each have a responsibility to reflect on what we learn and hear and take action if we want to make progress.

Third, engage in dialogue. Create dedicated space for conversations and learning internally with your staff, board and volunteers. The more we talk about these important matters, the more informed and aware we become and the more opportunity we have to make progress. Engaging in dialogue also means showing up when our community has critical conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Finally, commit to action. We should actively look for opportunities within our own organizations to create more equitable policies, practices, and organizational culture. We must give care and attention not just to the “what” of our work but the “who”, the “why”, and the “how” if we want to advance racial equity. This is not a “once and done” activity but rather an ongoing analysis to determine how our organization’s actions may be inequitably advantageous to certain people while disenfranchising others.