Greater Good Blog

Arabella’s CEO, Sampriti Ganguli, and Whitney Wade, manager of talent acquisition and diversity, were recently interviewed about the firm’s efforts to integrate DEI values into our organization and our work.

Five years ago, Arabella began a concerted effort to increase the diversity of our workforce. We’ve written about what we’ve learned and ways in which we and the field can incorporate DEI principles into various aspects of our work. Recently, we recorded a podcast with Forefront, an Illinois-based membership association for nonprofits, grant makers, public agencies, advisors, and others, during which we discussed the approaches we’ve taken to recruit staff members with diverse backgrounds and experiences, ensure all staff members feel their voice is heard, and establish equity in all our practices. Among the advice we shared for organizations hoping to do
the same:

• Be honest and clear about your organization’s goals and how you hope to achieve them.
• Progress will require awkward conversations, so learn to become comfortable with discomfort.
• Recognize that leadership and wisdom come from all levels of an organization and that DEI efforts won’t fully succeed if they’re top-down.

You can find the podcast episode here.