Purpose

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential for Wayfinders to achieve its mission. A commitment to DEI is a deeply held value, but it is also a practical necessity for the organization to achieve its objectives. In addition to an explicit expression of our values, DEI means taking concrete action, and holding ourselves accountable to meaningful outcomes.

Values

• Racism is often structural in nature, embedded in systems, policy, our physical environment, and our unconscious behaviors and psychology. 

• Structural racism explains profound and persistent inequality in our everyday lives.

• DEI includes race, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability.

• DEI, and dismantling structural racism, is central to our program, but it also guides our internal operations and organizational culture.

Action

• DEI is an explicit element of Wayfinders’ mission statement. 

• Wayfinders operates regionally, prioritizing long-term, trust-based relationship building in communities of color and additional marginalized communities. 

• Substantial resources are allocated to recruitment and retention of program participants, staff, and lay leaders in communities of color and additional marginalized communities.

• Governance, advisory, and decision-making structures reflect regional diversity. 

• Program design always incorporates DEI. 

• Wayfinders’ compensation policy and financial investment decisions will conform to this DEI policy. 

• Wayfinders is a learning organization. Substantial resources are allocated to regular and ongoing DEI training, monitoring, assessment, and reporting involving the entire organization. 

Accountability

• Wayfinders ensures safe and effective ways for internal and external concerns related to DEI to be reported.

• Wayfinders regularly reports its performance relative to these principles and action steps.

• This policy is easily accessed, and maintained and adjusted as necessary according to Wayfinders’ governance protocols.