How can nonprofit organizations make their programs more inclusive?

An example quality program assessment is the “after action report.” After each program cycle, conduct a stakeholder meeting to focus on what went well, what went wrong, and what surprised you. There, the team can identify what types of participants may have been missed and begin planning for the next cycle. This is where outreach and engagement plans are devised. The key is, constantly assess the team’s biases toward certain convenience audiences rather than those who are being missed in the outreach and engagement efforts. This is where someone in the room needs to be constantly thinking “what are we missing?” The question always begets answers and actions.

This is an area where digital tools can really help an organisation achieve its goals both internally and externally. Digital tools for instance can enhance inclusivity and encourage diversity by helping charities eliminate biases and increase opportunities during recruitment. They can also help charities show their supporters that they care. Charities must be creative in showing their commitment. Through the use of digital tools, charity digital teams can showcase how it might feel to be marginalised or excluded. Virtual reality and immersive storytelling can also help give your supporters a different perspective.

- Review and revise policies and procedures to ensure that they are inclusive and do not discriminate against minorities. - Consider implementing diversity and inclusion training for your staff to promote a culture of inclusivity. - Actively engage with and involve members of minority groups in the decision-making, design and implementation of programs. This can be achieved by seeking their input and feedback, addressing their concerns, and ensuring that their voices are heard. - It is also important to have transparent and accessible communication to keep them informed and involved throughout the program implementation process.

Assess current inclusivity by conducting surveys, focus groups, and interviews with participants and make an "after action report"just like MR. Brett Johnson stated. Examine program data for demographic trends and participation rates. Evaluate feedback mechanisms and staff diversity. Analyze physical and digital accessibility. This comprehensive assessment forms the foundation for targeted strategies to enhance program inclusivity.

I agree but want to add that the analysis itself should be inclusive . Assessing yourself could on its own be exclusive as you will have predetermined expectations of outcomes . If you start from a zero base and ask all your stakeholders to do their own appreciative enquiries you may different answers which may lead to different outcomes.

Organisations must be careful when approaching this step as diversity and inclusion must remain a central driver of achieving the objectives of the organisation and not become just a tick box exercise. Too often the goal can be to simply meet diversity targets rather than understanding why diversity is important and how it can help an organisation achieve its specific strategic goals. Diversity alone will not help your stakeholders if it is not firmly linked to you organisational strategy.

After checking where you stand, set some cool goals! Like, aim to boost participation from different groups or add accessibility features. Make sure these goals are doable and match your big mission. Keep an eye on them and tweak as needed for ongoing improvement!

This is a very important step as all best value organisation in England have a statutory duty to involve. The purpose of which is to embed a culture of engagement and empowerment. As a result of which they will expect their partner organisations to also prioritise engagement and empowerment programmes. This will have a considerable impact on funding streams and is thus central to organisational planning as it will lead to better services and long term results.

Most important of all,Involve stakeholders in decision-making. Seek their input on inclusivity initiatives through surveys, workshops, or advisory groups. Empower them by incorporating their perspectives into program design. This collaborative approach ensures a sense of ownership and strengthens the impact of inclusivity efforts.

Stay flexible! Adapt programs based on stakeholder feedback and emerging needs. Innovate by introducing new elements or technologies for better inclusivity. A dynamic approach ensures ongoing relevance and effectiveness in meeting diverse community needs.

And please, to anyone who plans on following this input, consider creating a mentorship program where experienced participants guide newcomers, fostering a supportive community. Share success stories showcasing the positive impact of inclusivity. Embrace technology for virtual engagement, broadening accessibility. These creative approaches amplify the inclusivity of nonprofit programs, creating richer and more interconnected communities.

- Communicate about it and invite diverse input, invite peer-to-peer exchanges and best practice sharing with similar organizations

Ensure your workforce looks like the communities you provide programming to. And not just the front-line workers. Frontline to Executives and Board members. And when you do hire them support them champion them. Allow them to take risks, fail, and get back up again like you do white males, even those who don’t deserve a second chance (I.e. Adam Neumann).

- Communicate about it and invite diverse input, invite peer-to-peer exchanges and best practice sharing with similar organizations