Valuing Our Shared Humanity
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, JUSTICE & BELONGING
“We have an expectation that everyone in our organization acts with the belief that we are richer in relevance, creative resources, and energies, because we function as a diverse team”
– NEW’s 10-year Vision
...iN AN ERA OF BACKLASH
Across the country, we are witnessing an alarming and coordinated effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Policies and programs designed to create belonging, level the playing field, and rectify systemic harm are falsely framed as unnecessary, divisive, or illegal. This backlash is not just an attack on DEI—it is an attack on justice itself.
At Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW), we are unwavering in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB). This is not a moment for retreat; it is a moment for resolve. As institutions and corporations scale back their commitments under political and legal pressure, we reaffirm our belief that building a more just and inclusive nonprofit sector is not optional—it is essential.
DEIJB is Not Just About Hiring—It’s About Organizational Culture & Impact
A prevailing and dangerous misconception is that DEIJB is about hiring practices, filling quotas, or ‘box-checking’. In reality, this work is about organizational culture, values, equitable decision-making, inclusive leadership, economic empowerment, and ensuring that institutions contribute to repairing past harms and injustices.
The misinformation around DEIJB exists, in part, due to a lack of education about what it truly entails and the measurable benefits it brings to workplaces and society at large. Studies have repeatedly shown that diverse and inclusive organizations perform better, retain talent more effectively, and foster greater innovation:
- Financial and Organizational Success: A 2020 McKinsey & Company report found that companies in the top quartile for gender and racial diversity were significantly more likely to outperform financially than those in the bottom quartile (McKinsey, Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters, 2020).
- Stronger Decision-Making: Research published in Harvard Business Review found that diverse teams make better decisions up to 87% of the time compared to less diverse teams (How Diversity Can Drive Innovation, HBR, 2013).
- Higher Employee Engagement & Retention: Studies from Gartner show that inclusive work environments see a 12% increase in employee performance and a 20% increase in employee retention (Gartner, The Business Case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 2021).
- Nonprofit Sector Impact: Organizations that integrate equity and inclusion into their operations are more effective in achieving their mission, securing funding, and building trust with the communities they serve (Bridgespan Group, Making Real Progress on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 2019).
At NEW, we actively counter false narratives by providing education and tools that help organizations integrate DEIJB into every facet of their work. Our training, coaching, and capacity-building efforts ensure that organizations not only recruit and retain diverse teams but also foster cultures of belonging where people can thrive.
NEW’s mission has always been about transforming the nonprofit sector by strengthening leadership and governance, operational excellence, and the capacity of organizations to create lasting change.
We welcome team members, clients, and partners from all walks of life and backgrounds. As our client pool diversifies, we believe that serving them with a diverse and inclusive team strengthens trust, creativity, and effectiveness. A team that reflects the communities we serve brings critical perspectives that shape our services and strategies—an expectation, not an option, in a world where inequity remains pervasive.
NEW also understands that diversity in our supplier base, including prioritizing local small businesses and those owned by people with historically and systemically marginalized identities, drives innovation and economic empowerment for these businesses. These commitments are not political. They are moral, strategic, and necessary.
Consistent with our commitment to justice and the rule of law, we continually evaluate our practices to ensure compliance with legal requirements, including evolving Supreme Court decisions. We are confident that our DEIJB efforts are legally sound and mission-critical.
Our hiring, retention, and promotion practices are rooted in fairness and equity and are conducted without unlawful discrimination on the basis of:
- Race, color, national origin, ancestry
- Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression
- Religion, age, pregnancy, disability
- Work-related injury, veteran status
- Political ideology or expression
- Genetic information, marital status
- Any other protected status
We refuse to allow fear and misinformation to dictate how we show up in this work. The real risk is not in committing to justice, but in failing to do so.
The attempt to weaponize DEI against those fighting for equity is a direct challenge to the future we are working to build. NEW stands unequivocally committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice—because these values are not only integral to our work, they are the work.
The assertion that DEIJB commitments introduce unnecessary financial or legal risks is misleading and rooted in a broader effort to undermine progress toward justice. We are steadfast in our belief that investing in DEIJB strengthens organizations, enhances innovation, and creates opportunities for all.
For these reasons, the leadership, staff, and Mission Circle (board of directors) of NEW reaffirm our commitment to advancing equity and inclusion, recognizing that our success—and the success of the nonprofit sector—depends on a shared commitment to justice and community well-being.
Resources
DEIJB is About Economic Empowerment & Community Strength
NEW’s Commitment to Legal Compliance & Justice
We Refuse to Let Feat & Misinformation Dictate This Work
READY TO HARNESS YOUR COMMUNITY’S COLLECTIVE POWER?
LET'S WORK TOGETHERFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do your DEIJB values show up in your day-to-day operations?
At NEW we’ve been on an intentional journey to embody our values – including our commitment to DEIJB – in all the practices of our daily operations. This mostly centers around sharing power and decision-making. We give everyone the chance to consent to a meeting agenda before moving forward with it.
We invite everyone present into decision-making processes. When there is divergence, we share and hold space for the diverse perspectives on our team, so we can build understanding across difference. These are just a few ways our commitments show up in action, and they can be witnessed every single day at NEW.
What does accountability look like if something goes wrong or you fall short of your DEIJB values?
None of us are perfect, nor do we expect each other to be. So we value and expect direct, candid feedback that lets us know when harm has been done. Then, in the spirit of restorative practices, we seek to repair that harm in ways that feel meaningful to the other party. This is true whether we fall short with a client, partner, community member or in our internal relationships. Of course, this looks different for every person, organization, and circumstances. What stays the same, though, is our commitment to honoring the relationships that connect us.
How do you approach working with organizations that are at different stages of their DEIJB journey?
Everyone’s DEIJB journey is different, which means every organization’s journey is different, too. We honor this truth by meeting our peer clients where they’re at, establishing mutual trust, and moving at a speed that moves us forward together. This doesn’t mean we sugar-coat what we’re witnessing or water-down our charge, though. Instead we hold each other lovingly accountable to learning and growing along the way, and expect our partners to do the same for us.
Are there organizations or causes you choose not to partner with due to misalignment with your DEIJB values?
Absolutely. We’re serious about our commitments to these values and to the vision we’re trying to realize. So everything we do at NEW is infused with these values at its core – whether that’s a strategic planning engagement, a leadership development cohort, or our managed bookkeeping service. Our approach centers DEIJB, full stop. If your organization or leadership is insincere in your desire to work in this way, we’re not a good fit and we’re happy to refer you elsewhere.
This, of course, is nuanced – sometimes leaders are part of larger institutions that are not operating within their values. But often, it takes folks on the inside who are committed to the work to be the champions for change for that organization. So if you’re committed to the cause, we’re happy to come alongside you to help manifest that reality.