Diversity and Equity

As a human services organization continuously seeking to deliver community impact and maintain quality service to our donors, clients and community, we believe that diversity – both cultural diversity and diversity of thought – strengthens our ability to better serve our community.

We respect, value and celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. We also believe that bringing diverse individuals together allows us to collectively and more effectively address the issues that face Douglas County. It is our aim, therefore, that our partners, strategies and investments reflect these core values.

Our Board of Directors, staff and volunteers reflect the many faces, cultures and walks of life that proudly make up our community.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, Greater Douglas United Way strives to:

• See diversity, equity and inclusion as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the
  well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.
• Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services.
• Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission.
• Help to challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader at our organization, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
• Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
• Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff and committees.
• Lead with respect. We expect all employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.

Greater Douglas United Way abides by the following action items to help promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace:

• Pursue cultural competency throughout our organization by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
• Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of Douglas County.
• Develop a system for being more intentional and conscious of bias during the hiring, promoting, or evaluating process. Train our hiring team on equitable practices.