A Reset
Location
New York
Industry
Non-Profit
Challenge
Majority white education advocacy organization having diversity, equity and inclusion as a core value
Action
Policy Shifts
Results
Moved from 25% BIPOC staff in 2017 to 43% BIPOC staff in various tiers of the org including the C-Suite in 2020.
Educators were overheard engaging in a conversation noticing the apparent color now being added to the non-profit’s staff. Educators in the four boroughs were making similar observations to organizers. I led staff advocacy for the Co-CEOs to clearly define the organization’s commitment to the predominantly black and brown students of the public schools system. The HR department was re-designed as People and Equity and the first black woman in the C-suite was hired to lead the org’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
I planned and facilitated a training to assess the New York office’s willingness to engage in conversations around race, dei, and social justice. A national diversity council was convened and I served as its founding chair. Policy shifts occurred where the pool of qualified candidates for open roles was set at a minimum for people of color and low income background which resulted in a robust pool and an increase from 25% BIPOC in 2017 to 43% BIPOC in 2020 org wide.
Recruiters with expertise in sourcing excellent leaders of color supported efforts to diversify leadership of the six chapters. Four of six Executive Directors were Black or Latinx in 2020. Identity based communities were created to build communities and advocate for equity in the organization; black, white, latinx, aapi, lgbtq+, and parents. Reputable consultants were selected to audit compensation policies and made recommendations to reconcile inequities and increase transparency. The org created clear transparent salary bands, bonuses and promotions policies. Onboarding of new staff was restructured to ground them in the organization’s commitment to dei and anti-racism.. Diversity council members and officers, DEI connectors, and identity based community leaders receive stipends.
