Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, and our commitment to those values is demonstrated in the choices we make every day.

We celebrate and honor the dignity of every individual. This includes differences in race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, veteran status, religious beliefs, academic background, professional experience, or other protected statuses. We bring together people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to create an environment of respect, belonging, and growth. Diverse voices strengthen our ability to connect with our clients and the communities we serve in meaningful ways.  

Creating an inclusive culture empowers fresh ideas and thoughtful solutions that make a real impact. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a key focus for us since our inception in 1985. While we’re proud of the progress made, we recognize this work is ongoing and that there’s always more to learn. Guided by staff input and lived experiences, we aim to improve through:

Keeping ourselves accountable and transparent.

With support from our internal Advisory Council, we facilitate feedback sessions, invite dialogue, and identify areas for growth. We regularly track and share metrics like workforce diversity compared to industry averages and to the communities we serve, recruiting statistics, and gender pay equity analysis.

Continually assessing our progress.

We regularly revisit how we attract and retain talent, with a focus on reaching a broader, more representative pool of candidates. We track the diversity of our candidate pools and constantly reevaluate our recruitment strategies to reach new candidates.

Actively connecting employees.

Staff have multiple avenues to engage with individual mentors and employee-led communities focused on professional growth and belonging at all stages of our careers. We also invest in regular training on equity, trust-building, communication, and bias, empowering staff with tools to lead inclusively.

Integrating equity in our projects.

Equity isn’t an add on, it’s part of our approach from the start. We work alongside our clients to embed inclusive practices that reach a broader range of community voices throughout our engagements.

Welcoming honest conversation.

We encourage open, respectful dialogue with our employees, clients, and partners about our DEI efforts. If you’re curious about how we approach this work, we’d love to hear from you.

Connect with us.

Explore our Community Engagement & Equity services or contact us to get in touch.