Delta Institute undertook and recently completed an 18-month planning period to identify, explore, and strengthen our goals related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Delta recognized in Spring 2019 that we need to evolve to better serve our community partners to achieve our shared vision of a thriving Midwest. This means that we must be authentic and inclusive at our fundamental core, ensuring that we do not contribute to legacy injustices that the 501c3 sector has indirectly/directly perpetuated.
To face this reality headfirst, Delta convened a DEI Committee composed of staff, associate board, and governing board members to create a comprehensive overview of our approach to DEI, with clearly defined and actionable recommendations so that our work results in actual, verifiable change within the organization at all levels. Being candid, we simply could not continue doing “business as usual” if we want to be a genuine and inclusive partner.
In the spirit of collaboration and transparency, we published our DEI Executive Summary online as well as an updated Statement of Commitment to DEI to share more about where we’ve been and where we’re going as an organization. We are using this document and a robust roster of additional DEI resources to help draft a new Strategic Plan. Our current Strategic Plan goes through the end of our FY22 (June 30, 2022)—but we realized that our current Plan is not reflective of who we are, or who we want to be. We will share more in our newsletter and online in the months to come. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us.