Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

PHILANTHROPY OHIO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING STATEMENT

Philanthropy Ohio provides the network, tools and knowledge to help people engaged in philanthropy become effective partners for change in their communities. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are among Philanthropy Ohio’s core values. We believe that greater diversity, equity and inclusion is a matter of fairness and effectiveness in our profession. To have real impact in a diverse and complex world, organized philanthropy must effectively include these voices and draw upon them to intentionally engage issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in an authentic way. We encourage all foundation leaders to sustain leadership commitment, authorization, learning and outreach and strategically and intentionally advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our organizations and grantmaking.

GOALS AND STRATEGIES 

Achieve lasting impact by drawing on the power of diverse staff and boards

• Appreciate individual differences and encourage the authentic inclusion of diverse perspectives, opinions, backgrounds, abilities and experiences
• Strive to make our philanthropic community reflective of the diversity of our communities by promoting inclusion of diverse members on the board of trustees and staff

Forge genuine partnerships with diverse communities

• Support efforts to expand who is engaged in philanthropy both as philanthropists and community partners
• Actively include diverse vendors, contractors, advisors, consultants, sponsors and investment managers
• Work with the philanthropic community and grantees to achieve a shared responsibility around reaching diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging goals

Increase access to opportunities and resources for all people

• Conduct grantmaking and civic leadership that is informed by the principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy and engages the perspectives of diverse community partners and constituency groups

Include diverse, equitable and inclusive practices in organizational operations, grantmaking and other programmatic areas

• Support accountability measures through data collection (on board, staff, advisor, vendor and community partner diversity) and transparency to monitor progress and promote and sustain changes
• Recognize and address structural inequities through programs, grantmaking and advocacy
• Invest in racial equity training, consultation and collaborative learning
• Screen the organization’s operations and policies with a racial equity lens.

Philanthropy Ohio’s definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are inspired by D5, a five-year coalition (2010-2015) to advance philanthropy’s diversity, equity and inclusion and by the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

Diversity refers to those who bring a unique perspective or life experience to the decision-making table and group identities that historically have been – and remain –underrepresented in grantmaking, among practitioners in the field, and have historically been excluded in the broader society including but not limited to:

• Racial and ethnic groups
• Religious groups
• LGBTQIA (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and asexual) populations
• People with differences of ability
• Gender
• Socio-economic status
• Age

Equity means promoting justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as their distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the underlying or root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion refers to the degree to which individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes of an organization or group. While a truly “inclusive” group is necessarily diverse, a “diverse” group may or may not be “inclusive.”

Belonging describes values and practices where no person is left out of our circle of concern. It means having a meaningful voice and the opportunity to participate in the design of political, social and cultural structures by both contributing and holding accountable those structures.