One year ago, Juneteenth became a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. With its roots on the day marking the end of slavery, this federal holiday invites us to be thoughtful about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our society and sector more broadly.

Our recently released Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) explored whether the donating public values DEI in charities. The report showed a complex picture, with some enthusiasm around DEI and more apathy than some would like to see. Still, the report is significant because it introduces the voice of a spectrum of everyday givers – who are the backbone of a healthy and pluralistic charitable sector.

One of our survey questions asked participants whether they heard about a specific charity having a lack of diversity, equity, or inclusion during the past year. Overall, 22% of respondents said they had. However, younger respondents, people of color, LGBTQ+ participants, and people identifying as Muslim, Mormon, or Jewish were significantly more likely to say that they heard about a specific charity lacking DEI. Specifically, 40% of Gen Zers, 33% of African Americans, 65% of Pansexual participants, and 63% of Muslim participants reported hearing about lack of DEI at a specific charity.  Younger respondents, people of color, and LGBTQ+ participants are also more likely to report positive associations related to a charity having a diverse, equitable and inclusive board and staff; to place high importance in representation on a charity’s board and staff; and to say that demographic information reported by the charity would be “very useful. For a quick look, we invite you to see our infographics about how DEI influences individual giving and how different demographic groups differ in their DEI preferences.

Recognizing different donor experiences is an important first step in reaching a diverse set of donors and speaking to their distinct preferences.

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video Series, we interview Laura Baerwolf, Chief Operating Officer of the Mona Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity). This organization works to support grassroots educational initiatives that provide education to all children, increase opportunities for women and girls and emphasize service to the community.
 

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Heart of Giving Podcast

In this week's Heart of Giving Podcast, we look back and explore some of our past episodes to find out what motivated some of our esteemed guests to embark on their philanthropic journey and the early experiences that made a mark and inspired them along the way.