3.3 Allocate and Commit Resources
It is always important to look at financial decisions in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion. Power and privilege are often connected to the allocation and commitment of resources. Decisions are often made based on how they have been made in the past without taking into consideration the present context. One way to build a culture of inclusion that extends to these important decision-making functions is to ask questions about the composition and structure of your governance, finance, human resources and fundraising committees.
- Who are the decision-makers on those committees? How are discussions about allocation and commitment of resources held?
- Does your board invite questions about spending and allocation of resources? Is there transparency?
All these elements contribute to the kind of culture your board has. It may be a culture that is not transparent nor open to questions. If input from new board members is not encouraged, the board creates an environment that is not conducive to generating a culture of inclusion. As we have discussed previously, many studies have shown that there are great benefits to increasing the amount of diversity in the governance structure of an organization, but these benefits are realized only if the diverse voices are heard and only if all the voices around the table have the same value.