Volunteer engagement Through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive lens

HOPES and FEARS Work with folks at your table and create a list of hopes and fears for this presentation and your engagement of it.

Questions I’ll be addressing: What is DEI? How does equity apply to Volunteer Management? How do I create equitable spaces for volunteers?

Focus will be on: Bias/Blindness Intent vs. impact Barriers to a positive volunteer experience

What is DEI? Diversity (who) + Inclusion (How)= Equity(what)

My assumptions, values, beliefs: Personal Bias built into a program and embedded into a system, becomes an ism. Ex of ism(s): Racism, Ageism, Classism, Sexism, Heterosexism, Able-Bodyism etc. Ism’s ARE NOT always a sign of bad character, poor morals, or purposeful ignorance. Ism’s ARE ALWAYS a sign of social conditioning. How I show up does impact how the world sees me. That is not always my fault… and sometimes it is. My end goal is equity. Equity is a way of life that requires me to understand compounded issues.

Biases are: (Dictionary Definition) prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. What does this mean? Biases are our defaults…System 1 thinking—automatic judgments that stem from associations stored in memory and often learned through culture/conditioning Biases are a survival technique, a default mechanism often initiated by stress, multitasking, fatigue Some biases involve flawed System 2 thinking— deliberate reasoning gone awry. Cognitive limitations or laziness, for example, might cause people to focus intently on the wrong things or fail to seek out relevant information

How to Outsmart Your Bias? 1st step: Acknowledge you have them… about everything 2nd step: Educate yourself when in a situation that bias might be playing out. What is your aversion to something or the affinity towards something coming from? What is the opposite perspective? (Do you know the opposite perspective?) 3rd step: Think twice about your bias. Story telling vs. Tracking 4th step: Be Courageous. Help others notice when they are being biased

Questions on Bias? How has bias showed in your volunteer programs?

Intent vs Impact if INTENT = IMPACT, then good communication Challenge One: Every message must first pass through the filter of the “speaker’s” clarity of expression and then through the “listener’s” ability to hear what is said. Challenge Two: We don’t actually know the intentions of the people we communicate with; often times we assume/judge their intentions based on their actions which may cause their words to impact us unfavorably. Challenge Three: Good intentions do not sanitize bad impact. What can you do if you realize that there is a mismatch between your intent and your impact on volunteers? 1. Ask yourself some questions: - What just occurred? - How is the outcome different from what I intended/expected? - Where can I take responsibility? - How do I clean this up? 2. take action to clean up mismatches of intent and impact as quickly as you can: - Be honest about your intention. - Discuss with the other person, their perspective. - How could you have handled the communication differently? - Take responsibility for your actions.

How do I make my intentions clear in my volunteer programs using a DEI lens? Equity is when everyone is given the appropriate accommodations, information, resources, prep time, and guidance for success: Provide volunteer orientation manuals and orientation sessions with key staff, clients, and stakeholders. Create a culture of accessibility, question seeking, and inclusivity. Set clear expectations for performance based on measurable and attainable outcomes and timelines. Allow for the volunteers’ experiences to guide the training and development needs of your volunteer program. Incorporate a restorative justice model for conflicts and disciplinary actions.

What are some positive and negative experiences you’ve had with volunteers where you can note bias/assumptions effected the impact of your message?

Groups Question and Answer time: What have been the barriers to a positive volunteer experience in your organization, through a DEI lens?