Foundation Best Practices: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are critical societal concerns and, as such, are becoming more and more central in the nonprofit sector. What does this mean for philanthropists and their foundations?

No matter your foundation’s mission or the causes you care about, having a unique cross-section of opinions, perspectives and experiences will enrich your work. While the benefits are numerous, looking through the lens of DEI can ultimately enhance your foundation’s ability to contribute most effectively to a changing society.

The term “DEI” can signify many different things: a foundation’s own internal diversity, the expert voices it seeks when developing problem statements and their solution sets, the lens through which it evaluates funding requests, and how it defines successful programs. In this sense, funders have choices and those who are interested in pursuing or expanding a DEI strategy have a number of options they can explore.

Our Philanthropic Advisory Services team share some of the strategic considerations and best practices foundations can use to successfully incorporate DEI approaches into day-to-day processes, communications and actions.