Nonprofits should be at the forefront of encompassing diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) into their governance and operations. While discussions regarding DEI are increasingly prevalent in the nonprofit sector, the next, more difficult, step forward is to turn the discussions into action.
Commitment to DEI may be demonstrated through leadership, governance policies, recruitment, power-sharing, and importantly, accountability. From a corporate law perspective, one way to lock DEI in as a core value of an organization is to include DEI principles and language into an organization’s Bylaws. As a manual for the Directors and officers in governing the organization, Bylaws that include DEI provisions function as a sign that the organization will devote meaningful resources to those values.