Inclusiveness at Work: How to Build Greater Geographic, Cultural, and Racial Diversity on Your Council

SILC Congress PRESENTATION Wednesday, January 18, 2017 1:00pm – 2:15pm

Workshop Objectives Background information on the efforts of the California SILC to diversify its’ members. Explore perceptions, group identity, assumptions and stereotypes; Constructively address disruptive beliefs and biased behaviors that divide and devalue people; Define how we can build diverse SILCs. Offer tools and information on membership/recruitment audits. Examples of SILC activities that have been effective; and provide an opportunity for Participants discuss what can be done in our SILCs to build participation and leadership of all people with disabilities.

Introductions Name, organization What interested you about this workshop? What you hoped to get out of the workshop?

Leadership: Champions Elsa Quezada Ben Jauregui Current Joseph describe his experience Michael Agyin

Decentralized 3 working committees, committee chairs, vice chairs Joseph Vice Chair

Projects YLF Diversity Plan Targeted recruitments: Asian-American, Youth, TBI, Tribal Outreach to missing demographic groups Peer-to-peer mentoring

Explore perceptions, group identity, assumptions and stereotypes; Consider and describe the personality of Justin Dart use only 2-4 words to describe the dominant features of the personality.

Why do we see the same people in different ways? To what extent does our view of ourselves influence our views of others? Where do these biases come from? How do you self-identify?

How we can build diverse SILCs? Equal status among group members Interaction that is intimate, individualized, nonstereotypical, and interdependent – making similarities among participants salient.

Tools and information on membership/recruitment audits. Boardsource https://www.boardsource.org Georgia Center for Nonprofits system: Strategic Needs Table, Current Board Inventory, Recruit Attributes Chart http://www.bridgespan.org/Publications-and-Tools/Hiring-Nonprofit-Leaders/Recruiting-Board-Members/Right-from-the-Start-What-Your-Board-Needs.aspx#.VamQXEZWKfM

More Tools and information on membership/recruitment audits. National Council of Nonprofits: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/finding-the-right-board-members-your-nonprofit   New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire http://www.nhnonprofits.org/?q=node/393 Blue Avocado, Board Café, “Ditch Your Board Composition Matrix.” http://www.blueavocado.org/node/762

Examples of SILC activities that have been effective?

Attending Events Networking Being parts of other organizations Active community member Getting to know your ILCs and their members City and county council meetings Making presentations Chamber Meetings

What can we do in our SILCs to build participation and leadership from diverse communities? In Inclusiveness at Work: How to Build Inclusive Nonprofit Organizations, Katherine Pease suggests a few questions your board can ask itself:  Are people of all ethnicities, races, religions, gender identities, ages comfortable serving on the board? Does the board consider issues relating to all when it sets policies and makes decisions for the organization? What could the board do differently to become more inclusive and welcoming? What could the board do differently to address the needs of different communities?

Liz Pazdral, Executive Director Questions/Comments You are the experts – We need to hear from you Thank you! Liz Pazdral, Executive Director (916) 445-0142 liz@calsilc.org