For Such a Time As This
From the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force Final Report
Dear WID Community,
It is with great joy that I proudly share with you this report on the work WID has done to further Inclusion, Equity and Diversity in the fundraising and philanthropic communities. And yet, I am quite restless at this particular moment in time, when tragedy upon tragedy has brought our nation to its knees in many ways. And I wonder at this moment, will we finally rise and walk towards the path of racial equity and justice?
Two years ago, past President Brooke Bryant and I set upon a journey to enact change at Women In Development (WID), NY in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion. As the first African American President in WID’s 40-year history, I have had many conversations and have thought long and hard about what that means for the profession. I have also been humbled by the outreach I’ve received from women of color in the field, who before now, did not necessarily feel that WID was the right community for them, because they did not see themselves strongly reflected in the organization’s programming or leadership. I am determined that more women of color should see more women who look like them in leadership roles in our professions.
With this in mind, in 2018 WID launched a two-year Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which will transition to an Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Committee during the 2020-2021 program year. The Task Force worked with leading experts to determine a set of recommendations, which the WID board approved and which I am very excited to say we are on track to implement almost fully this year. WID cares about inclusion, equity and diversity, because at the core of this work is a fundamental truth about us as human beings in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors: We know for certain, the richness and depth that is brought to our profession when we embrace ALL of our colleagues, regardless of any particular characteristic.
Onward, Upward, Forward,