Diversity and Inclusion

Believing that the wide array of perspectives resulting from diversity and inclusion allows all organizations to be more effective, we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. We are also dedicated to greater diversity and inclusion within our own organization and provide equal opportunity to people of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, gender identifications, abilities, incomes, marital statuses, ages, geographic locations, philosophies, and veteran statuses in all levels of staff and governance.

We seek to encourage all foundation leaders to embrace the following principles intended to promote diversity as a matter of fairness and effectiveness in our profession.

Mutual Respect

Within the parameters of our core values and charter requirements, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and we fundamentally value and respect experiences that are different from our own.

Knowledge and Creativity

By increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion, we believe we will access more expansive and varied ideas, information, and perspectives, making us more creative, informed investors.

Transparency

We believe we have a responsibility to society and our sector to achieve our goals with honesty and transparency, regularly reporting progress and lessons learned along the way.

Promising Practices

We seek to advance field effectiveness by encouraging voluntary diversity practices that have shown potential to enhance philanthropic sector performance – including periodic self-assessments of board and staff appointments, grantmaking, and contracting that better enable institutional leaders to identify and act on strategic opportunities to increase their inclusivity and public problem-solving leadership.

The following are exemplary practices we have identified that more and more private grantmaking institutions are successfully utilizing in these connections.

Internal Diversity Assessments

Conducting periodic assessments of board and staff appointments, grantmaking, and contracting to help institutional leaders identify priorities, recognize strategic opportunities, and enhance their diversity performance.

Field Development and Coordination

Supporting more integrated and coordinated planning, investment, and action to expand the field's overall capacity for change.

Periodic Progress Reporting

Tracking progress, communicating accomplishments, and sharing lessons learned to establish field-wide performance benchmarks and enhanced transparency and public accountability.

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