Fiver’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Fiver Children’s Foundation respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person who they are. Fiver believes that bringing diverse individuals together allows us to collectively and more efficiently fulfill its mission and address the issues faced by those Fiver serves. Diversity and Inclusion are critical drivers of institutional excellence, and it is Fiver’s aim that the organization, staff, board, committees, and volunteers, as well as the independent entities and vendors with which Fiver chooses to work and do business, reflect and embrace these core values.
What does a commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) look like in practice?
Fiver embraces diversity, which it defines as the quality of being different or unique at the individual or group level, including – but not limited to – differences in race, ethnicity, skin color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, religion, marital status and socio-economic status. Fiver also believes in the importance of inclusion, which we define as an environment in which people feel supported, listened to, respected, and able to perform at their personal best, and that an inclusive environment does not come into existence spontaneously, but must be created. At Fiver, we are:
Actively working to towards inclusiveness, accessibility and equity;
Ensuring DEIB is embedded in everything we do by examining attitudes and actions through the lens of access and equity; and,
Creating a space where people are safe to be their authentic selves
Living Our Values
Fiver’s staff, board, committees, and volunteers have a responsibility to and are expected to treat others with dignity and respect at all times, and Fiver expects the same from the independent entities and vendors with whom it chooses to partner, work, and do business. Whether intentional or unintentional, statements or actions that potentially undermine diversity and inclusion are inconsistent with Fiver’s core values. Fiver is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, staff, and workplace and to seeking out and engaging with diverse individuals for service on the Fiver board, committees, and as volunteers. To ensure an equitable and inclusive experience for youth, staff, and community members, Fiver has integrated the following values into its culture:
Recruit staff and board members that represent diverse backgrounds so that we can listen and learn from varied experiences.
Provide the Fiver program at no cost to ensure cost is not a barrier to participation or opportunity.
Commit time to learn about each other and to share stories about our lives, our history, our culture, and our experiences to better understand one another.
Promote anti-racist, anti-heterosexist, anti-transphobic, and anti-ablest messages so that we are publicly sharing our values.
Use a race equity lens when developing programs and practices in all departments.
Provide opportunities for staff at all levels to participate in leadership meetings and opportunities in order to build leadership pipelines and to incorporate all voices.
Acknowledge the history of the land upon which we live and work to honor the struggle of those who came before us.
Encourage the use of pronouns for staff, youth, and volunteers so we do not make assumptions about gender identity.
Publish salaries when posting job opportunities so that salaries are aligned with job responsibilities and not limited by past salary history.
Do not require arbitrary education requirements for positions, so we do not limit access to opportunity for those who have unequal access to education.
Make a collective commitment to hold people accountable for their behavior so that Fiver is a safe and nurturing place for all.
Recognize that when someone offers criticism around repressive behavior, treat it as a learning experience rather than challenging the person or invalidating their experience.
Obtain quotes and bids from diverse vendors, especially on significant purchases, so that we deploy our resources in a way that is consistent with our values.
Sustaining these Efforts
In order to sustain these efforts and to continue striving toward being a diverse, inclusive and equitable organization, Fiver commits to:
● Allocating adequate resources on an annual basis for ongoing training around DEIB for staff, board members and volunteers
● Setting goals related to DEIB practices and monitor progress toward goals.
● Enlisting the help of experts to identify areas where we can be even more equitable and inclusive
● Checking in regularly with our youth, staff and board to ensure we are remaining on track and evolving as we learn
● Share publicly how Fiver is working toward DEIB practices