Welcoming Environment® Best Practices

Make diversity part of the strategic plan for the entire organization.
Create a formal diversity & inclusion plan with metrics and hold staff and members accountable.
- American Library Association Diversity Action and Inclusion Plan
Incorporate diversity and inclusion sensitivity training for volunteer leadership and organizations staff.
- The Profiles in Diversity Journal, is a bimonthly emagazine focusing on diversity/inclusion in business, government, nonprofit, higher education and military settings. The focus of the journal is senior leadership, best practices, workforce diversity strategies, and recognition of employee contribution.
Focus on outreach globally, both cultural and language.
Benchmark your internal organizational metrics to the industry’s metrics.
Offer products and services in global languages and delivery methods.

Ensure that the diversity of your membership is reflected in your organization’s membership.
Showcase the organization’s diverse leaders.
Have succession planning for the organization’s diversity plan.
Create a diverse nominating committee for board nominations with formal written guidelines.
Standardize requirements and interview questions for potential board members.

Identify the point at which individuals become interested in the field your association represents and reach out to diverse populations at that time (high school, undergraduate, etc.).
Go to where diverse members are and recruit those members.
Establish affinity groups or Shared Interest Groups that cater to various shared interests within the membership.
Match less involved members with more involved members for mentoring purposes.
Partner with more diverse organizations on programs and events.
Include diverse faces in marketing materials including the organizations website.
Invite diverse speakers as faculty to education programs.
- Contact universities and colleges that:
- Example of university contacts are:
- - Northern Illinois University Diversity Centers: