Commitment to Diversity and Values Statements

The resources provided in this section expand on the following recommendations:

• Communicate a continued commitment to the organization’s DEI principles.
• Assess existing DEI programs and consider engaging external counsel to conduct a legally privileged audit of DEI programs.
• Assess perceptions of DEI efforts, including through an analysis of the perception of DEI programs by employees and external stakeholders. (Primary focus is with outward facing section, but this section should reference that section)
• Monitor changes in state and local laws and initiatives aimed at protecting and limiting DEI programs and any changes thereto.
• Identify the specific benefits of diversity in the workplace and develop programs and initiatives specifically tailored to further those benefits.
• Increase internal controls over communications and disclosures about DEI initiatives, paying careful attention to appropriately and accurately.
• Describing those initiatives and the implications of making such disclosures.
• Foster good practices and ensure that senior leadership teams understand, and are invested in achieving, the objectives of the organization’s DEI programs, which should be well-documented.

How to Use

The goal of this section is to provide information to organizational leaders as they evaluate and define their organization’s commitment to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). This tool offers both an overview of best practices and some sample DEI mission statements to assist you in developing a DEI mission statement that is right for your organization. By fostering an inclusive work environment, you can create a culture that celebrates diversity. The use of PowerPoint allows the user to easily modify it for presentation to organizational leaders.

Tool