We Are On A Journey
At Philanthropy Northwest, we partner with members and other stakeholders to ensure healthy, more vibrant, and sustainable futures for our communities. We also live our values for a more equitable world — where all individuals, inclusive of their identity, can achieve their full potential. Together with The Giving Practice, our national consulting arm, we offer a range of diversity, equity and inclusion-focused programs, from one-day trainings and personalized consulting services to multi-year fellowships.
We are making progress on our journey but we've certainly not "ARRIVED."
Our Commitment
We commit to a future where diverse identities are celebrated, and equitable and inclusive practices are woven into the fabric of everything we do as an organization. We believe using common language is important to guide this work and foster productive conversations. The following definitions and aspirations incorporate our best thinking, and create the context of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Philanthropy Northwest:
DIVERSITY means the representation and full participation of diverse people including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic and geographic status, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, language, religion, and national origin, among other identities. We strive to ensure our staff and board reflect the growing diversity in our region, and our programming includes diverse voices and perspectives.
EQUITY is the condition that would be achieved if one’s identity no longer predicted how one fared in life. Therefore, in the pursuit of equity, we pay close attention to the historical context underpinning which groups have experienced society’s benefits or burdens because of their identity. We seek to address inequities within (and ultimately undo) systems, policies and practices that have been designed to exclude, or reinforce different outcomes for, certain groups and communities. We actively strive to understand how power, privilege and bias shape who has access and resources. We then, where possible, propose strategies to overcome the role of bias and privilege within our sector and in our own decision-making.
INCLUSION creates a space and environment for diverse individuals to bring their authentic and full selves to our workplace, our network and the sector. We strive to create the space and conditions for all voices to be heard and valued, despite different political persuasions. We actively lift up voices that have been historically marginalized or excluded. We also consistently assess and reflect on our own organizational culture and practices to ensure we support and include all identities and lived experiences.
We believe philanthropy plays a key role in elevating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as an important function and component of our society. While we acknowledge the pursuit of DEI is a journey—and that we won’t get it right every time—we commit to learning from our mistakes in the pursuit of progress. We aspire to model the challenges and opportunities of change, and the potential impact that can result when we collectively commit to DEI. What’s more, we are dedicated to sharing our evolving framework and lessons learned with our members, peers and stakeholders. And so, our commitment to DEI is also a commitment to reflection, humility and transparency.
That’s why we actively lean into our organizational role that “calls in” rather than “calls out” diverse opinions and perspectives — encouraging our members to come together and work through difficult issues and conversations, while keeping equity at the center along the path to a more fair and just world.
Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Our DEI Program Offerings
- Grantmaking with an Equity Lens Training
- Grantmakers of Color Network
- Momentum Fellowship
- Racial Equity Speaker Series
- Racial Equity Funder Table
The Giving Practice Consulting Services and Tools for DEI
- DEI CEO Cohort
- Customized Facilitation on DEI topics
- Strategy and Planning for DEI
- Reflective Practices for DEI
- Coaching on DEI
- Do-It-Yourself DEI Resources