EQUITY STATEMENT
At the United Way Heartland Region our Board of Directors embraces diversity, equity and inclusion for every person in every community served. This includes, but is not limited to, attributes such as race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, education, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and beliefs. To Live United is to create a safe and welcoming community where every member can thrive.
We embrace the fact that every person brings their own unique perspective and experience to advance our mission of improving the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.
We believe that each community member, donor, volunteer, advocate, and employee must have equal access to solving community problems. We are committed to engaging all as leaders, partners, donors, and volunteers, and including them in decision-making and leadership within our organization.
We commit to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of our daily work, using these practices in our business and our communities.
We understand:
· Equity ensures just treatment, advancement, and access to opportunities in life while identifying and working to eliminate barriers and power imbalances.
· Inclusion means creating an environment in which all are welcomed, respected, and able to participate in our work.
We recognize our communities served are not immune to structural racism, ethnic discrimination and other forms of oppression. Structural racism and ethnic discrimination have contributed to racial disparities in the past and persist in the present. Some of these inequities can be the result of policies and practices which marginalize communities of people. As a community we have worked to make changes to ensure equality for all, and at UWHR we remain committed to doing so. We denounce racism and ethnic discrimination in all forms- individual, structural, and systemic- as it undermines the well-being of our communities.
We acknowledge that discrimination can be unconscious and unintentional, and identifying discrimination does not necessarily mean those involved intended the negative impact. We will challenge ourselves, our board of directors, and our community partners to understand and correct any inequities we may discover.
We expect all staff, volunteers, and collaborative and community partners to uphold these values as we work together to build a more equitable and inclusive community. Harassment, bullying, and discrimination will not be tolerated. We consider diversity, equity, and inclusion integral to our work, and at the heart of what it means to Live United