As was shared at the Annual Meeting on May 9, the WIF board recently approved eleven member-supported recommendations from the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) working groups, which picked up where the DEI Task Force left off almost one year ago (two of the original nine recommendations were broken into two parts, hence eleven total).  All these efforts have been grounded in WIF’s history and values, especially that of inclusion, which states that “our collective spirit thrives when all voices are heard.”

The recommendations were also informed by member feedback from the DEI listening sessions and survey in March.  Thank you to the almost 100 members who participated and shared your ideas!

The recommendations will be adopted in two phases. The first set is either already underway or can be integrated into our strategic plan and operating model now since many of the implementation details are complete. These recommendations seek to respond to community and member feedback, make our grants process more transparent and friendly to nonprofits, better institutionalize diversity in membership and leadership, and ensure more inclusive events and engagement.

Phase I:

1. Simplify the grants application process
2. Provide applicants WIF grantmaking principles for incorporation into application responses
3. Give an honorarium to all grants finalists to honor their time and energy
4. Implement intentional governance and policy changes to address DEI goals
5. Utilize DEI best practices and continue to address unconscious bias
6. Cultivate inclusive engagement and event experiences
7. Develop intentional outreach and recruitment to improve membership diversity
8. Make WIF experience more accessible to the community

The second phase of recommendations is approved in concept; however, additional work remains on implementation details – either by working group members or by committees themselves. Once these operational details are determined, they will be shared with the board and implemented, most likely within the next year. These recommendations seek to think more expansively about how WIF makes an impact through our grantmaking, while also working to increase socioeconomic access to WIF through a variety of financial options for membership.

Phase II:

1. Begin rotating Grants program areas over two years in the fall of 2023
2. Give Grants Committee flexibility to recommend an optional package of grants as a potential voting option on the ballot
3. Increase socioeconomic diversity within WIF membership through alternative dues level(s) and/or scholarships

For Phase I recommendations, the next step is for the Board of Directors to integrate the recommendations into the strategic plan and operating model such that they are implemented by committees in the coming year (or continue to be implemented, as many are already underway). 

For Phase II recommendations, the implementation details of the grant-related recommendations are already in discussion among our incoming Grants leadership – Liz Thomas-Hollier and Claire Ferguson – in collaboration with other Grants leads, and incoming Board Chair Nikki Jarrell and Executive Director Patricia Massey Hoke. Additional details regarding socioeconomic diversity including varying dues levels and other options are in discussion among the Our Organization working group leadership including Ann Allen, Michelle Cottrell, Lisa Miller, and Markita Payne, in collaboration with Board and Finance Committee leadership. These will be socialized with various committees before returning to the board. Details will be shared with members before implementation.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in our DEI work, especially the working group members and chairs Ann Allen and Jonell Logan. We have made the commitment to action. Now the work of making these recommendations real begins.