The DEI Dilemma in Our Sector

Today 60% of nonprofits serve communities of color, but the staff and board leadership often do not reflect the communities they serve. Nothing new; tons of research supports this. These same organizations are constantly asking, "Where are the diverse donors?" or "How do I diversify my donor base?" As if diverse donors want to remain anonymous "generous stealths." Diverse donors are everywhere, and believe it or not, and they are willing to support worthy causes. These donors are not just looking for programs that serve their community because they are already working in their communities through organizations, civic groups, religious organizations, informal and personal connections. They want to know if the organization seeking their support is working alongside the community, providing leadership and development opportunities for staff who reflect those communities, developing boards that represent the community it serves, and engaging community members with respect and inclusion void of paternalism.

So why in 2021 are staff, leadership, and donors still not reflective of the communities they serve? Or better yet, why would staff and leadership want to change this?

When an organization (the people within it) does not individually and collectively value diverse communities' full involvement and participation, they will never be motivated to change long term. There is proof that diversity spurs greater innovation, creativity, and success (read revenues). However, many organizations continue to engage in performative allyship but never genuinely change systems for a sustainable difference. And when an organization is only interested in raising money as "efficiently" as possible, it is not a priority to look for groups outside of their (closed) networks. 

I respect the work of DEI professionals who are making progress towards change.  And I think their efforts are necessary. We have to change the things we can change. Enacting policies, procedures that center transparency and equity will have its success. Raising awareness and consciousness is valuable work. So why are individuals still experiencing exclusion, discrimination, and unfairness in these same organizations with DEI initiatives?

Because the diversity, equity, and inclusion problem is a spiritual problem that can't be completely solved through legislation, policies, or mandates.

This does not mean that you must be a self-professed religious person or belong to a church, mosque, or synagogue to solve the issue. It is more about the individual’s own personal attitudes, behaviors, and way of thinking that has been shaped by their families, friends, and communities. It is about the way in which you see the world and who you are as a moral and ethical being. Religious and spiritual institutions help to create these attitudes and also have a responsibility in the work of equity and inclusion since so much of our shared history includes their role in shaping ideas of race, sin, justice, and equality. Many would call this truth and reconciliation work, I just call it the work of being fully human and treating others as such.

There are countless organizations doing good in their communities but we have to question why all the good they do still doesn't change the ways that marginalized communities continue to experience discrimination, workplace abuse, bullying, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, ageism, and ableism in those same organizations. In the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr "…but through our moral and spiritual geniuses, we have failed to make of our own Nation a brotherhood. This is the chief moral dilemma of our Nation."

About the Author: Wanda Scott is the founder and principal consultant of Wanda Scott & Associates. Wanda has earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) professional designation, and a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) in Feminist Interpretations of the New Testament from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wanda Scott