The current societal climate no longer allows us to stand on the sidelines when it comes to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). There is a sense of urgency and societal responsibility to make sure we employ the JEDI policies as part of any organization. Organizations and nonprofits must make inclusion equity at the forefront of their efforts to protect the employees and the organization, and subsequently better represent the community in which they serve. And through that focus on JEDI, organizations can live their values and show those in the community that their voices are heard.
Having an inclusive organization leads to a more comprehensive approach to the critical work being done. Employees are able to feel they are part of the organization, feel more appreciated, take ownership of their progress, and become more productive; oftentimes this leads to a decrease in turnover and a loss of institutional knowledge. In the midst of the Great Resignation, employees are no longer willing to be part of a toxic work environment, and through JEDI assessments we can make sure all viewpoints are represented and be active in providing clarity and protection for everyone.
What is a JEDI assessment?
JEDI assessments take an appraisal of not only how the organization is structured, but who is doing the work and what the community looks like. This assessment asks in-depth questions about the decision-making process, policies in place, leadership structure, and funding diversification.
There are numerous areas of our assessment process, broken into;
- Diving into demographic data by asking in-depth questions about the makeup of the staff. This information will be compiled and processed into reports that are anonymized.
- The organizational structure to better focus on the mission, vision, and culture of the organization.
- Internal operations and how the work is done through the organizations’ operations, finances, and what policies remain in place.
- What the organization’s board, staff, volunteers, and leadership looks like.
- Compliance questions regarding human resources and legal issues
- External facing questions about how the organization is perceived, public awareness, engagement, and advocacy.
Through the answers to these questions, we will be able to appraise the progress of the organization and what steps are needed to move forward. This process enables organizations to be more equitable and inclusive towards activities in the future.
A brief version of our assessment can be found in the link below.