Why We’re Deeply Committed to Antiracism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (AEDI)
As a community based nonprofit, our strong and steadfast commitment to AEDI begins with our vision. To realize our vision, it is essential that all individuals have access to opportunities and are treated with respect. Addressing systemic discrimination is necessary to rectify inequalities that persist in our society, particularly in workplaces where marginalized groups continue to face barriers to advancement. We are working to ensure that everyone is empowered to contribute fully and authentically, without fear of marginalization or oppression. Collectively, our AEDI efforts seek to foster social cohesion and community well-being, creating environments where all individuals can thrive and feel a sense of belonging.
Our AEDI commitment is also driven by what we must do to serve and support the wonderfully diverse communities in our region through our thrift retail stores and job training and placement programs. Many communities in our region are among the most diverse in the United States. Regardless of whether we are serving thrift retail customers, jobseekers, or donors, advancing AEDI is key to our organization’s ability to understand, engage, and meet the needs of people throughout our region.
Advancing AEDI has been shown to directly correlate with improved performance and innovation. For example, studies from McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group conclude that diverse organizations are more likely to outperform their peers financially and creatively. Diverse teams bring a wealth of perspectives, which leads to faster decision-making, better problem-solving, and more innovative solutions. Additionally, according to Deloitte, inclusive workplaces are more apt to attract talent and foster higher employee satisfaction, leading to lower turnover rates and increased productivity. As such, our commitment to AEDI builds upon principles of fairness, justice, and human dignity, and is a strategic decision to enhance our ability to serve and support our diverse communities over the long-term.
What We Are Doing
Our AEDI journey began in 2018 with a series of employee listening conversations on the topics of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Since that time, our commitment and efforts have grown and now include both internal and external efforts to advance AEDI. As a result AEDI has become more integral to our decision-making, operations, culture, partnerships, and more.
We’ve made progress by:
- Creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive culture
- Calling people in, instead of calling them out
- Committing to a “climbing the stairs” educational model that meets people where they are, and provides tools to advance in their individual and collective AEDI journeys
Internal Efforts
- Reviewed and refreshed our organizational policies through an AEDI lens
- Conducting ongoing learning sessions for all employees and Board members
- Established a Board of Directors Committee on Antiracism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Hired a Vice President of Antiracism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on our Executive Team
- Established AEDI learning resources for employees
- Learning pods for our Leadership Team
- Repository with over 600 resources
- Educational videos
- Monthly Lunchtime Learning Series
External Efforts
- Engaging with our suppliers to understand and share learnings from their AEDI journeys
- Supporting and engaging in the Pierce County “Lens of Equity” summit
- Participating in a diversity-based “community of practice” with other Goodwill organizations
- Creating a diversity-based “community of practice” with HR leaders in our region
Organizational Policies
To advance AEDI, Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region has instituted and strengthened a number of organizational policies, and will continue to evaluate our policies and practices going forward.
