Posted on September 27, 2007

Communities across the nation are becoming more and more diverse. Recent studies have spotlighted the fact that many local agencies, their board, staff, and volunteer corps, who all work to enhance the quality of life in diverse communities, do not reflect the constituents they serve. Here’s a clue: according to a recently released study on nonprofit governance by the Urban Institute, 52 percent of governing boards whose clientele is 25 percent to 49 percent Hispanic/Latino have no Latino/Hispanic members. Funders nationwide have launched community dialogues to close this gap and increasingly favor evidence of a diversity plan in the proposals they review.

Can boards and staff of organizations that do not reflect their target population be truly effective? Can an organization address the root causes of racism, marginalization, and inequities that its constituents face if it does not incorporate the people most directly impacted in the organization’s program management, design, and evaluation? Whether your organization runs a museum, a housing program, or a youth-mentoring project, inclusiveness can help you create a more harmonious and stable workplace, increase your volunteer base, deliver more effective programming, and boost your donor base. No matter what your mission is or what population you serve, inclusiveness policies can only help to strengthen your impact.

If your organization does not already have diversity procedures in place, developing an inclusive environment will require organization-wide buy-in to an ongoing process. The following tips can help serve as key guideposts as you move forward.

The Outreach Strategy
An inclusive organization seeks representation of multiple ages and socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Thus, your strategies should be specifically tailored to target donors, funders, constituents, board members, volunteers, and community supporters.

Know your target audience
Be specific about whom you want to reach. Within each target audience there may also be multi-layers — i.e., if an organization serves youth, it will want to reach not just youth, but parents and caregivers as well. If an organization wants to recruit volunteers, it may want to reach student interns and seniors, office staff, and direct-service providers. Each of your target audiences may have different needs and motivations for coming to your organization, and your marketing approaches should match as closely as possible your audience’s interests and ability to receive your messages. The extent to which your organization is strategic in its outreach and marketing approach and reflects an inclusive environment will increase the possibility that your audiences will remain active participants.

Building blocks
You’ll need to use different strategies for each target population but the linchpin of your approach is to let people know they are welcome! Sincerity and consistency pay off: building trust is an ongoing process that requires patience and an ability to forge sustained relationships. As you establish your credibility, keep these critical points in mind:

• Do not assume that people who speak the same language have the same needs, interests, or share the same cultural background.
• Your message should focus on how your target audience will benefit, not on what you need.
• Demonstrate your willingness to go to the community, not the reverse.
• Recruiting outreach workers who are highly respected in the community provides direct access to disenfranchised populations.
• Recognize allegiance to family and the foundational role religion plays in the family structure of many ethnic groups.

Create an advisory committee. An advisory body can assist you in the development of culturally competent services. Reassure your committee that its activities are crucial to the success of the organization:

• Welcome the advice of committee members regarding language, effective activities, community leaders, customs and norms, as well as open-ended advice regarding your standing in the community.
• Ask for verification about the terminology you use.
• Elicit venues that would be effective for your outreach activities.
• Report back to the committee about ways in which its advice and input have been used to shape different aspects of your outreach strategy.
• Set aside a certain amount of money as honorariums for members’ service, if possible.
• Stay connected and in communication with committee members.

Be aware of the barriers to participation that your constituents face. These could make the difference between accessing your programs or not. Some obvious items include:

• Lack of trust
• Stigmas or myths regarding your program
• Accessibility issues (such as hours of operation or transportation)
• Financial constraints

Focus on relationships, not projects. Face-to-face outreach is effective and yields a greater community-based outcome in the long run. Recruiting outreach workers that are highly respected in the community provides direct access to disenfranchised populations and greater acceptance and validity of your services. Meaningful relationships also provide the best inroads to volunteers, donors, program participants and community leaders.

Get feedback as you go. Seek input from members of your target audience and learn about their experiences with your programming through interviews, focus groups, surveys, or casual conversation.

Use culturally relevant bilingual materials. Services and materials need to be “transcreated,” not just translated (i.e., translated to ensure that they make sense both literally and culturally).

Some populations may present a challenge for you to reach. Think creatively. Ideas for reaching hard-to-reach populations include:

• English as Second Language (ESL) classes. Many educational programs welcome presentations from community groups about their projects. Such discussions help stimulate conversation and broaden students’ understanding of the community.
• Some school systems have designated teachers or administrators who work with specific populations.
• Local farmers’ markets often attract a broad spectrum of community members.
• Health clinics may offer a way to connect to hard-to-reach constituents.
• Senior centers attract elders who may otherwise be shut in.
• Soup kitchens and free food services may provide a way to reach low-income constituents.

Media can help you reach a wide audience. Identify creative opportunities to broadcast information about your organization. For example, if you make your building more accessible to the disabled, install an accessible computer station, or launch a new program, issue a press release. Take advantage of these kinds of things as new opportunities to reacquaint the local media with your organization and identify editors and reporters who may serve as allies in promoting your programming.

Establish clear organizational goals for your outreach activities. Incorporate your goals for engaging your target audiences into the strategic plan of your organization or coalition. This will help you keep your commitments to inclusion and diversity. As part of your plan, build in time to evaluate your efforts at least annually. It may take time to reach your goals and they may evolve over time, but a sincere effort will pay off. Research, personal relationships, sincerity, and the willingness to inquire and receive frank answers will only serve to strengthen your profile in the community you serve, build and foster connections, and result in greater success in achieving your organization’s mission.

Naomi Harris, JVA Consulting, LLC, MA, is a communications specialist on JVA’s resource development team. Harris has focused on development, management, communications, and outreach of community initiatives since 1978. Her grantwriting, technical assistance, and community-based data collection has supported underserved and diverse populations, including seniors, homeless populations, inner-city youth, refugee populations, economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and women and girls. Harris has received training in the Technology of Participation facilitation (TOPS) and Skilled Facilitator techniques, as well as conducting focus groups, and specializes in cultural competency and inclusivity.