Organizational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The work of becoming a more inclusive and equitable land conservation sector starts at home, in our own organizations. People are at the heart of your land trust, but if they don’t feel like they belong or that your organizational policies are equitable, you will lose the many proven benefits of having — and meaningfully engaging — staff and board from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences. Likewise, if your land trust aspires to develop more equitable and inclusive programs and projects in your community, it’s imperative to undertake aligned internal efforts to “walk the talk.” As part of such efforts, land trusts should consider their organizational culture, operations and administrative services that directly impact staff, key volunteers and board members’ professional development and strategic, financial and program planning. The resources in this section will help you create policies, procedures and practices that ensure everyone in your organization feels valued, heard and empowered.