6 Steps to Write a Meaningful Diversity Statement
By Jenny Spurr
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A diversity statement is a public declaration of an organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Usually intended for employees and customers, it can be found on websites, job descriptions, and marketing materials.
While you can find all kinds of advice about how to craft one online—from recommended word counts to grade level readability—there’s one thing you can’t find on a blog: how to make your diversity statement mean something. For that, you’ll need to dig into the purpose of your organization as well as the history of the communities you serve. In this article, we outline 5 simple (and not-so-simple) steps to write a purposeful and authentic diversity statement from some of the Bow Valley’s local experts in community building. |
Does your organization need a diversity statement?
Not all non-profit and charitable organizations need to declare their commitment to diversity publicly, says Aurora Borin, an intersectional feminist and fierce advocate for LGBTQ2S+ folx. “You have to take into account the context of the business and the community that it’s operating in.”
A queer-owned or -identified organization might not need to post its commitment to diversity publicly if it’s operating in a welcoming and inclusive community. But an allied organization operating in a less friendly community, she explains, might need to be more explicit. “They’re doing something that’s probably more dangerous, and all the more valuable for it, because it’s making a bigger difference in that community.”
That said, a sentence or two on your website can go a long way towards making marginalized communities feel welcome. “Don't underestimate the power of a diversity statement on your website,” adds Aurora. “We look for that.”
If you decide a diversity statement is right for your organization, here are a few tips to make sure it’s meaningful.
A queer-owned or -identified organization might not need to post its commitment to diversity publicly if it’s operating in a welcoming and inclusive community. But an allied organization operating in a less friendly community, she explains, might need to be more explicit. “They’re doing something that’s probably more dangerous, and all the more valuable for it, because it’s making a bigger difference in that community.”
That said, a sentence or two on your website can go a long way towards making marginalized communities feel welcome. “Don't underestimate the power of a diversity statement on your website,” adds Aurora. “We look for that.”
If you decide a diversity statement is right for your organization, here are a few tips to make sure it’s meaningful.
6 simple (and not so simple) steps you can take to make your diversity statement meaningful
1. Ask yourself why
Start by taking the time to understand why diversity is important to your organization and how it relates to your mission, vision, and values.
“If it’s the first time your organization is publicly talking about structural racism, diversity and inclusion, you should also include why that’s happening,” says Dawn Saunders Dahl, an artist and arts administrator whose work, both personally and professionally, strives to create discussion and awareness around issues of community, culture, and identity.
Making a statement without really knowing why can come across as disingenuous, she adds. “If there is no action plan or clear understanding around why the organization has initiated the commitment in the first place, marginalized communities will see that there is no real commitment—only talk and no action.”
Whether it’s spurred by an incident in your community or a commitment to show your employees you care, your dedication to DEI needs to be backed by an authentic explanation in order to be meaningful.
“A diversity statement is not a marketing tactic,” says Natasha Lay, Communications and Outreach Specialist with the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, an organization dedicated to improving immigrant settlement and integration. “It’s a fundamental way of working.”
2. Do your homework
Before you draft your diversity statement, get to know the communities you serve. It’s important to understand the history of bias and discrimination they may have faced so that you can take meaningful steps to right some of those past wrongs.
“Understand that people of colour experience discomfort every day, and may continue to have that discomfort when they leave the room,” says Dawn. “So take the time to sit in your own discomfort, learn where the barriers are and why they exist, and create actions in order to repair the damage.”
Keep in mind it’s not any one person’s responsibility to educate you on their community or culture. “People with lived experience do not represent everyone in their community and should not be expected to have all the answers,” adds Dawn.
Similarly, says Natasha, an organization’s DEI initiatives can’t rest on the shoulders of one team member because they won't be meaningful or sustainable. “Everyone has a role to play in diversity, equity, and inclusion,” she says.
3. Put the resources in place
Once you have an understanding of the work that needs to be done, make sure you have the resources in place to do it.
“It’s important to understand where your company is on the diversity, equity, and inclusion journey,” explains Natasha. “Arguably, everybody should be on some path towards being a more inclusive workplace, but not every organization has the resources and assets available to do the hard work.”
It would be a mistake, she adds, to commit to changing policies and infrastructure without investing the proper time, money, and energy. An audit or assessment can help you decide what’s reasonable and—most importantly—achievable.
“If an organization is unable to spend the time and make the efforts, it would be wise to wait until they can offer the space to understand and implement changes,” agrees Dawn. A great alternative, she suggests, is to commit to a deadline to start making space for change to happen.
4. Be specific
Make your commitment to DEI stronger by pointing to tangible ways your organization is living into its promise. If you don’t have success stories or statistics yet, outline your goals and the steps you’re taking to achieve them.
“Providing actual action items and examples of what has been done / is being done / and will be done in the future ensures there’s a commitment among staff and an understanding within the organization,” says Dawn. “Writing or speaking without any action is a clear sign that nothing will change.”
As you make progress towards achieving your goals, be sure to update your statement regularly. Follow up every six or 12 months, suggests Natasha.
5. Use inclusive language
The best diversity statements use positive, inclusive language. Doing a little bit of work to understand what words are being used in the community you serve—and why they’re being used—can go a long way towards improving authenticity and building credibility with your audience.
“Language is always evolving,” says Aurora. “Every couple of years there are new words to use. But the bottom line is that the words being used are the words people are choosing for themselves. So, use the words that people want to use.”
Choose words that are authentic to your organization too, adds Dawn. Your statement should be unique to your organization, so use language that has meaning for your staff and customers.
Check out our Inclusive Language Guide for tips on how to use inclusive language in your writing.
6. Use real imagery
Support your diversity statement with images that are representative of your workplace. Rather than splashing stock photos of different cultural groups on your website, use photos of the people who work for your organization.
“Everything you say in your diversity statement should be backed by actions,” says Natasha. “Taking photos of the people who actually power your company is a great way to show they matter, and share their strengths and stories in a meaningful way.”
Celebrating the team members you work with every day—and really listening to their needs—is a simple step you can take to make your organization’s DEI initiatives meaningful, Natasha adds.
Once you’ve written your diversity statement, share it broadly—both in-house and in the communities you serve. Make sure information is easy to find on your organization’s website, job descriptions, and marketing materials. You might even decide to translate it into the languages you know are most spoken.
Making your diversity and inclusion statement meaningful takes time and effort—but, it’s worth it.
As Dawn says, “We all have a part to play in undoing institutional bias. When organizations understand how to respond to the phrase ‘nothing about us without us’, only positive responses from marginalized communities will be the result.”
Start by taking the time to understand why diversity is important to your organization and how it relates to your mission, vision, and values.
“If it’s the first time your organization is publicly talking about structural racism, diversity and inclusion, you should also include why that’s happening,” says Dawn Saunders Dahl, an artist and arts administrator whose work, both personally and professionally, strives to create discussion and awareness around issues of community, culture, and identity.
Making a statement without really knowing why can come across as disingenuous, she adds. “If there is no action plan or clear understanding around why the organization has initiated the commitment in the first place, marginalized communities will see that there is no real commitment—only talk and no action.”
Whether it’s spurred by an incident in your community or a commitment to show your employees you care, your dedication to DEI needs to be backed by an authentic explanation in order to be meaningful.
“A diversity statement is not a marketing tactic,” says Natasha Lay, Communications and Outreach Specialist with the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, an organization dedicated to improving immigrant settlement and integration. “It’s a fundamental way of working.”
2. Do your homework
Before you draft your diversity statement, get to know the communities you serve. It’s important to understand the history of bias and discrimination they may have faced so that you can take meaningful steps to right some of those past wrongs.
“Understand that people of colour experience discomfort every day, and may continue to have that discomfort when they leave the room,” says Dawn. “So take the time to sit in your own discomfort, learn where the barriers are and why they exist, and create actions in order to repair the damage.”
Keep in mind it’s not any one person’s responsibility to educate you on their community or culture. “People with lived experience do not represent everyone in their community and should not be expected to have all the answers,” adds Dawn.
Similarly, says Natasha, an organization’s DEI initiatives can’t rest on the shoulders of one team member because they won't be meaningful or sustainable. “Everyone has a role to play in diversity, equity, and inclusion,” she says.
3. Put the resources in place
Once you have an understanding of the work that needs to be done, make sure you have the resources in place to do it.
“It’s important to understand where your company is on the diversity, equity, and inclusion journey,” explains Natasha. “Arguably, everybody should be on some path towards being a more inclusive workplace, but not every organization has the resources and assets available to do the hard work.”
It would be a mistake, she adds, to commit to changing policies and infrastructure without investing the proper time, money, and energy. An audit or assessment can help you decide what’s reasonable and—most importantly—achievable.
“If an organization is unable to spend the time and make the efforts, it would be wise to wait until they can offer the space to understand and implement changes,” agrees Dawn. A great alternative, she suggests, is to commit to a deadline to start making space for change to happen.
4. Be specific
Make your commitment to DEI stronger by pointing to tangible ways your organization is living into its promise. If you don’t have success stories or statistics yet, outline your goals and the steps you’re taking to achieve them.
“Providing actual action items and examples of what has been done / is being done / and will be done in the future ensures there’s a commitment among staff and an understanding within the organization,” says Dawn. “Writing or speaking without any action is a clear sign that nothing will change.”
As you make progress towards achieving your goals, be sure to update your statement regularly. Follow up every six or 12 months, suggests Natasha.
5. Use inclusive language
The best diversity statements use positive, inclusive language. Doing a little bit of work to understand what words are being used in the community you serve—and why they’re being used—can go a long way towards improving authenticity and building credibility with your audience.
“Language is always evolving,” says Aurora. “Every couple of years there are new words to use. But the bottom line is that the words being used are the words people are choosing for themselves. So, use the words that people want to use.”
Choose words that are authentic to your organization too, adds Dawn. Your statement should be unique to your organization, so use language that has meaning for your staff and customers.
Check out our Inclusive Language Guide for tips on how to use inclusive language in your writing.
6. Use real imagery
Support your diversity statement with images that are representative of your workplace. Rather than splashing stock photos of different cultural groups on your website, use photos of the people who work for your organization.
“Everything you say in your diversity statement should be backed by actions,” says Natasha. “Taking photos of the people who actually power your company is a great way to show they matter, and share their strengths and stories in a meaningful way.”
Celebrating the team members you work with every day—and really listening to their needs—is a simple step you can take to make your organization’s DEI initiatives meaningful, Natasha adds.
Once you’ve written your diversity statement, share it broadly—both in-house and in the communities you serve. Make sure information is easy to find on your organization’s website, job descriptions, and marketing materials. You might even decide to translate it into the languages you know are most spoken.
Making your diversity and inclusion statement meaningful takes time and effort—but, it’s worth it.
As Dawn says, “We all have a part to play in undoing institutional bias. When organizations understand how to respond to the phrase ‘nothing about us without us’, only positive responses from marginalized communities will be the result.”
About Aurora Borin
Thirteen years ago, Aurora Borin moved to Banff knowing nothing of what she would do or later become. Today, Aurora is an inter-sectional feminist, queer, socialist, geek, cosplayer, Wiccan priestess, gamer, dog lover, divorced, and more. In other words, she is one of those Social Justice Warriors you hear about on the internet.
She is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ2S+ folx, regularly speaking with health care providers, businesses, NGOs, and municipal governments about the struggles we face and how to create more inclusive, diverse spaces. She has been privileged to speak before thousands at the Women's March on Calgary, as well as at Power of Being a Girl conferences, Trans Day of Remembrance vigils, and many other important markers in the lives of girls, women, and LGBTQ2S+ communities.
She is a successful career musician and is highly acclaimed throughout Calgary and the Bow Valley for her abilities as a collaborative pianist and educator. Her work has been described as brilliant, but more to her liking, she was once called a "Force of Nature". She is honoured to be trusted to support and work with young musicians as they develop into mature artists and humans. Aurora lives in Banff with her dog Cassie, who is the best dog. 13/10. Cassie is always adorable and never anything less than perfect. Aurora herself is bi/pansexual and has a transgender history.
She is a fierce advocate for LGBTQ2S+ folx, regularly speaking with health care providers, businesses, NGOs, and municipal governments about the struggles we face and how to create more inclusive, diverse spaces. She has been privileged to speak before thousands at the Women's March on Calgary, as well as at Power of Being a Girl conferences, Trans Day of Remembrance vigils, and many other important markers in the lives of girls, women, and LGBTQ2S+ communities.
She is a successful career musician and is highly acclaimed throughout Calgary and the Bow Valley for her abilities as a collaborative pianist and educator. Her work has been described as brilliant, but more to her liking, she was once called a "Force of Nature". She is honoured to be trusted to support and work with young musicians as they develop into mature artists and humans. Aurora lives in Banff with her dog Cassie, who is the best dog. 13/10. Cassie is always adorable and never anything less than perfect. Aurora herself is bi/pansexual and has a transgender history.
About Dawn Saunders Dahl
Since 2008, Dawn Saunders Dahl has been actively working with Indigenous arts communities in Alberta through public art opportunities, art exhibitions, projects, and events. The responsibility to understand her ancestry, to care for the land and to share are teachings that are repeated in her everyday conversations with Indigenous communities that influence her work and perspectives. Dawn is of Métis (Red River Ojibway) and European (English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, French) ancestry. She is honoured to have been gifted the Stoney Nakoda name Âba Thâ Wîyâ, which translated means the dawn.
Dawn attended the final TRC in Edmonton and the commitment she made at that event continues to guide her. She knows that today she can be seen as someone who could have certain advantages, these are privileges that she did not grow up with. She uses her arts administration positions to ensure that Indigenous perspectives are present in all aspects from start to the end of projects. Dawn has actively continued to find out more about the name she was born with (Grouette) and to find ways to embrace this side of the family. At the Métis Nation of Alberta and Winnipeg archives, she found a number of Métis Scripts, books and articles about her family. She has travelled to Winnipeg, Ste. Agathe, and Ste. Anne to continue to find out more about the history of Point a Grouette (now known as Ste. Agathe, Manitoba) and how it affects projects within her work and studio.
Dawn is also a practicing artist and creates in Studio 209, a working studio that is part of the Artists of Elk Run artist group located in Canmore. Her studio work is a reflection of her personal history which strives to generate discussion and awareness around issues of community, culture and identity.
Dawn attended the final TRC in Edmonton and the commitment she made at that event continues to guide her. She knows that today she can be seen as someone who could have certain advantages, these are privileges that she did not grow up with. She uses her arts administration positions to ensure that Indigenous perspectives are present in all aspects from start to the end of projects. Dawn has actively continued to find out more about the name she was born with (Grouette) and to find ways to embrace this side of the family. At the Métis Nation of Alberta and Winnipeg archives, she found a number of Métis Scripts, books and articles about her family. She has travelled to Winnipeg, Ste. Agathe, and Ste. Anne to continue to find out more about the history of Point a Grouette (now known as Ste. Agathe, Manitoba) and how it affects projects within her work and studio.
Dawn is also a practicing artist and creates in Studio 209, a working studio that is part of the Artists of Elk Run artist group located in Canmore. Her studio work is a reflection of her personal history which strives to generate discussion and awareness around issues of community, culture and identity.
About Natasha Lay
Natasha Lay is a Communications & Outreach Specialist, connecting individuals and organizations to create a more inclusive community through systemic and cultural change.
As a young woman of colour, Natasha has personal experience of discrimination based on her age, race, and gender. She understands that in order to make a meaningful impact, we must work together not only to change hearts and minds, but also to challenge the systems and structures holding us back from equity.
Natasha has a deep commitment to social justice and inclusion, with over a decade of experience in leading (and winning) communications campaigns, community organizing and building authentic relationships. In 2016, Natasha was named "Young Woman of the Year" by Western Sydney University.
Born and raised in the multicultural region of Western Sydney, Australia, Natasha moved to Canada in 2019. She volunteers as an English Tutor with the Bow Valley Learning Council, and as People Coordinator with Banff Food & Friends. Natasha enjoys bringing colour and diversity to the mountain lifestyle.
As a young woman of colour, Natasha has personal experience of discrimination based on her age, race, and gender. She understands that in order to make a meaningful impact, we must work together not only to change hearts and minds, but also to challenge the systems and structures holding us back from equity.
Natasha has a deep commitment to social justice and inclusion, with over a decade of experience in leading (and winning) communications campaigns, community organizing and building authentic relationships. In 2016, Natasha was named "Young Woman of the Year" by Western Sydney University.
Born and raised in the multicultural region of Western Sydney, Australia, Natasha moved to Canada in 2019. She volunteers as an English Tutor with the Bow Valley Learning Council, and as People Coordinator with Banff Food & Friends. Natasha enjoys bringing colour and diversity to the mountain lifestyle.
