Being Intentional: DEI Policies for Fundraising Success
There are a whole host of reasons that explain why having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policy is a non-profit best practice – and preparing your organization for fundraising success is among them.
DEI policies recognize the value of diverse voices and in bringing those voices to life within an organization. They describe the ways in which an organization develops an atmosphere and actions that foster the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, economic status, cultures, and sexual orientations.
While there are examples of DEI policies available, using a boilerplate defeats the purpose of having a DEI policy. It should, instead, reflect and be informed by your particular organization and its values. It’s important to begin by looking at why a DEI policy is necessary to your organization and then workshop how you will integrate DEI in a real way throughout your organization: staff, board, volunteers, and program.
In other words, a DEI policy must be intentional. It should be developed to represent the mission of the organization and advance its work. It should discuss how and why the policy will be applied – not just “to serve clients better” but how you will do that in a DEI-informed way.
Consider having a DEI board and staff training as a prelude to creating a policy that is reflective of your organization. After doing the fundamental work of an organizationally-specific DEI development, you can then include researched elements (which is when a boilerplate may come into play) to ensure the comprehensiveness of your policy.
Approaching DEI in this way helps you advance your mission by providing an opportunity to re-visit your values and organizational development. It is an opportunity to assess what you need to do to be inclusive of the lived experiences, skill sets, and perspectives necessary to becoming an organization that can fulfill your mission.
So…how does having an effective DEI policy apply to fundraising?
DEI policies strengthen organizations. Research demonstrates that diversity can heighten the quality of decision-making and encourage people to be more productive and innovative. Stronger organizations are better equipped to fulfill their missions and have a record of accomplishment that draws the support of both foundations and individual donors.
Having the right policies – and a DEI policy is one of those policies -- is necessary to putting your best foot forward with foundations, many of whom are looking to fund organizations that are able to demonstrate a commitment to DEI in their organization and work.
Highly successful fundraising starts with thinking big, and then acting on it. That means strategizing diverse funding streams, engaging a wide variety of donors, and expanding our toolkits. It includes reaching out to ALL populations – engaging them, learning from them, and ultimately bringing them into your inner circle of those giving their time and resources. They will then help create the base for successful fundraising by helping you develop new relationships, and by building credibility within their demographic and the larger community.
Successful fundraising involves inviting generosity into your organization. Nearly 60% of the US population made donations in 2021, and donors were from all walks of life. In fact, people of color, millennials, and mom's age 35-44 showed the largest increases in giving. Being deliberate about diversity and equity is increasingly tied to your contributed income.
DEI policies are the key to building organizations that thrive because they’re intentional – in supporting diverse participation and leadership, in serving everyone in the community, and in building fundraising success.