Tyra Sidberry, Diversity Initiative Director

TSNE’s Diversity Initiative is a unique resource for nonprofits working to create inclusive organizational cultures that support equal opportunity and access to power and influence.

After nearly two decades of working with grantees and the larger community, the program has identified key drivers required to ensure success in building diversity. These include: 

• A diversity committee/task force, representing all levels of the organization, that regularly communicates with the entire organization
• Unflinching commitment by the CEO to convey the benefits of organizational diversity to the organization’s mission, vision and values
• An organization-wide assessment or cultural audit to determine major challenges and barriers
• Prioritizing those challenges
• A clear designation of key participants, action steps and timelines to address challenges
• Skill-building for moving beyond differences to develop an organizational language and culture of inclusiveness
• Alignment of diversity planning with the organization’s strategic plan, so the former includes an assessment of funding and other resources needed to support the effort
• A consultant to facilitate developing and implementing a diversity plan
• Evaluation of progress at regular intervals
• Reassessment of priorities as needed

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