Progress Bulgaria’s Post

Those in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility typically put a lot of intentional thought and time into cultivating impactful and meaningful programs. 🌟 Frequently looking to strike a balance between larger team building events, deeper level skills-based opportunities, options for individual volunteer activities, and a mixture of in-person and virtual engagements. Yet, what we sometimes overlook is the opportunity to collaborate with our diversity, equity, and inclusion colleagues on an integrated strategy and approach. 🤝 Explore the strong link between DEI and CSR: https://lnkd.in/gcUi5ffC

Power in community and amplifying every voice. That’s what we’re all about. Scoring high in all four pillars (Governance, Employment, Procurement and Philanthropy) of the HACR - Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Corporate Inclusion Index is a testament to this mission. With mentorship programs, employee resource groups and more, we’re proud to foster a culture of belonging. Explore life in the #NetworkLife: https://vz.to/3QtZWcf

Equip yourself with tools to create a culture that embraces a spectrum of voices and lived experiences in organizational governance. On February 13, Board Diversity and Inclusion: Introduction to Key Concepts guides non-profit board members and Executive Directors/CEOs through key concepts and strategies to diversify their board and create an inclusive culture. In this half-day virtual workshop, participants can expect to: ◆ Define key concepts relating to diversity and inclusion. ◆ Articulate the benefits of enhancing diversity and inclusion. ◆ Describe key components of creating an inclusive board culture. ◆ Describe strategies for recruiting a diverse board. Find more information and how to register: https://ow.ly/osUu50QsX27

Equip yourself with tools to create a culture that embraces a spectrum of voices and lived experiences in organizational governance. On February 13, Board Diversity and Inclusion: Introduction to Key Concepts guides non-profit board members and Executive Directors/CEOs through key concepts and strategies to diversify their board and create an inclusive culture. In this half-day virtual workshop, participants can expect to: ◆ Define key concepts relating to diversity and inclusion. ◆ Articulate the benefits of enhancing diversity and inclusion. ◆ Describe key components of creating an inclusive board culture. ◆ Describe strategies for recruiting a diverse board. Find more information and how to register: https://ow.ly/osUu50QsX27

Non-profits can prioritize diversity and inclusion through: 1. Leadership Commitment: Ensure organizational leadership is committed to diversity and inclusion values. 2. Inclusive Policies: Implement policies that promote diversity in hiring, promotion, and procurement. 3. Diverse Representation: Ensure diverse representation on boards, staff, and volunteer roles. 4. Cultural Competence Training: Provide training to staff and volunteers on cultural competence and sensitivity. 5. Outreach and Engagement: Actively engage diverse communities in program development, outreach, and decision-making processes. 6. Accessibility: Ensure accessibility in all aspects of operations, including physical spaces, events, and communications. 7. Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and evaluate diversity and inclusion efforts, and make adjustments as needed.

Last month, The Career Pathways team visited our partners at Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home), a gender violence organization. WE’s Senior Career Pathways Manager, Tara D. Driver, M.A., LPC, PEL & Programs and Research Coordinator, Efrata Sasahulih, M.A. observed their class session & answered participants’ questions. Career Foundations is Women Employed’s career exploration course designed to help develop a career pathway plan leading to sustainable careers . WE also created a version of Career Foundations to address the challenges & barriers that crisis populations face when trying to navigate workforce services, based on our Intersecting Barriers: Challenges to Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors report. Released in 2022, the report sought to better understand the barriers to economic independence by gathering the insights of survivors, domestic violence advocates & workforce development professionals representing 23 Chicagoland organizations.   Read more of our Intersecting Barriers Report here: https://ow.ly/uhtK50R0F3C

DEI, where do we go from here?  Who am I? I have been an advocate and practitioner of advancing the causes of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the better part of two decades. My efforts have lived primarily within the walls of healthcare and academia. Throughout time and with cause there has been an evolution in the description as to how the efforts are contextualized or identified. For many practitioners the earlier efforts focused primarily on “differences” hence there was prominence in the use of the term diversity. Over time and with fact-based evidence there has been a consistent evolution in addressing and identifying the human need to feel valued, respected, wanted, recognized, and empowered. From Diversity, we have moved to incorporate, inclusion, equity, justice, accessibility, engagement, and in some platforms belonging (DEIB). The key challenge in recent years hasn’t been the efforts to identify or put a name to our efforts but in the creation of programs to support the advancement of addressing basic communal and individual human needs. So much so there have been political and ideological jettisons of many programs and roles across the country intended to prepare and maintain diversified and supportive working environments.   So, to this action, I ask why? Are the efforts missing the target? Are they not creating the opportunity to address missing components that supply us with the ingredients to feel whole as individuals and as part of thriving organizations? If that is the case perhaps our foray into addressing our human needs has been erroneously positioned to seek answers from programmatic platforms and not of human needs. Even to this late date in the production of platforms to advance diversity I ask the question, have we put the cart before the horse? Are we effectively using the right tools, ourselves? It is only through the acknowledgment of the human experience that will we have an understanding of the core of who we are and not what we are! Perhaps in continuing to advance efforts that are of value let's put more energy into asking “who are you” as opposed to what are you? And before that point of engagement, a bigger question may be “Who am I”? Through that exploration we can begin to address: ·      What are my pains  ·      What are my joys ·      What is my identity and why ·      How can I start the conversation ·      How am I impacting others ·      What do I want others to know about me (my identity, culture, comfort, challenges, desires, compromises, etc…)   In closing I make this bold statement, there isn’t a well-intended human-centric organization in the world that wouldn’t benefit from addressing the most common needs of its people and that is making them feel they belong, and whole as human beings.   So, to that end perhaps the 1st step in establishing or reestablishing DEI or “human-centric” opportunities is to start with a conversation, with ourselves!

🌟 Diverse. Equal. Inclusive: Transforming Innocap's Workplace 🌟 I'm very happy to be part of Innocap ongoing journey toward a more inclusive and equitable workspace. Throughout 2023, since we started introducing the DEI strategy, I've witnessed the commitment and passion that our team brings to the table. With our partner's Dora Mołodyńska-Küntzel guidance, we've designed a multidimensional approach to make a lasting change. Our first steps included conducting the Identity and Inclusion Survey, a crucial step to uncover areas needing our attention. The insights from this survey highlighted key priorities: Education, Equal Salary, and Diverse Representation. Setting up The DEI Council was the second step. The DEI Council is group of diverse individuals, who has taken up the responsibility to translate our DEI Statement into actionable work items. This group is dedicated to overseeing our DEI initiatives and ensuring their effectiveness across the organization. Having Identity and Inclusion Survey's insight and DEI Council voice made it possible to work out the Innocap DEI Strategy. We focused on many DEI aspects but a few of them are fundamental: Education - we're invested in workshops, seminars, and continuous learning to ensure that every employee is aware of DEI matters. Empowered by knowledge, we're better equipped to address biases, challenge stereotypes, and foster an inclusive environment. Transparency - is a cornerstone of our commitment. We've taken the pledge to establish equal pay structures and clear promotion paths by 2026 that will eliminate any potential gender and diversity pay gaps. Our journey also includes the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), voluntary communities led by employees themselves. Guided by the results of the Identity & Inclusion survey, we're excited to introduce ERGs that reflect our diverse workforce: Women, Parents, LGBT+, Cross-cultural, Different Abilities & Health/Wellness. These groups provide platforms for collaboration, dialogue, and change. I am very excited for the upcoming DEI projects at Innocap. #DEIChampion #InclusiveCulture #InnocapDEI