DEI Toolkit
Your journey to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion concepts within your organization begins here!
*This page is currently being updated. Please continue to check back for more resources as they are added.*
Building a workforce where all people feel welcome and included can increase job satisfaction, attract new workers and strengthen employee retention. It can also help your organization’s staff and leaders understand issues facing the people and communities you serve.
We at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque are on our own journey to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) concepts into our work. We have collected numerous resources and learning tools that we have used in our DEI workshops for team members, and we are pleased to share them with any organization that is seeking to deepen its staff’s understanding of these important issues.
These resources come from our staff’s personal research as well as recommendations from community members. If you have a resource you think would be helpful to include in this toolkit, share it with us! Email Clara Lopez Ortiz at clara@dbqfoundation.org.
Get started!
At the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, equity is at the heart of all we do. It is foundational to our vision for the Dubuque region and it is one of our organization’s core values.
Through our community partnerships, we strive to transform the systems that serve people in our region in a way that achieves equitable outcomes for everyone. Our Inclusive Dubuque network, established in 2012, is one outgrowth of our commitment to equity.
Just as we promote and support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in our community, we also recognize the need to strengthen our own DEI muscles. Our learning journey began in fall 2018 when staff members attended our own DEI training series for local nonprofits, Race Forward. The workshops set us on a path to develop and implement efforts that help our own staff better understand DEI concepts and how they can influence our work.
Building Our DEI Learning Plan
This toolkit is our way of sharing what we’ve learned — and continue to learn. Throughout this process, we leverage the passion and curiosity of our staff to identify DEI learning topics, research training materials, and present to one another on these subjects. In many cases, we lean on the expertise of community members, inviting local partners to lead training sessions. While the process isn’t always smooth, our commitment to learning about DEI concepts and ensuring that our work reflects what we’ve learned drives these efforts.
Sharing Our Experience
The journey begins by diving in. But understanding where to start with such a complex topic isn’t always easy. That’s why it’s our pleasure to share what we’ve learned with others. This toolkit is meant to be a guide and provide suggestions for how to approach your own learning. It includes topic ideas, resources and information about local experts, all of which has informed our own staff discussions.
It’s also a reminder that you are not alone on this journey. The Dubuque community is full of peers tackling these same concepts who want to help you. Together, we can build a Dubuque region that is welcoming, inclusive and compassionate.