Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement

United We Fight. United We Win.

The United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties (UWLWC) plays a unique role in the community as a leader in the health and human services sector. We firmly believe that to successfully carry out our organizational vision and mission, UWLWC must be committed to diversity. 
 
We understand that UWLWC is strong as an organization and central to our community because of the respect, dignity and value we give to all individuals; and because we aspire to involve people from all segments of our community in every aspect of our work. Our intent is to create and sustain an environment that encourages all individuals to reach their fullest potential in a positive and productive manner.
 
UWLWC shall recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, terminate and provide terms, conditions and privileges of employment solely on the basis of personnel requirements and individual personal qualification and abilities. UWLWC shall recruit Board Members in the same fashion. UWLWC does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, age (40 or over), disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation/preference, veteran, citizenship or military status, provided they are qualified and meet the mental and physical requirements for the job.
 
The nominating committee of the Board, in nominating persons for the Board of Directors, shall make every effort to see that the Board is at all times representative of the community and includes individuals with the understanding and appreciation of the social and welfare needs and resources of our geographic area and representative of the diversity of our citizenry. 
 
UWLWC staff members, volunteers or representatives are held accountable for promoting and fostering diversity, inclusiveness and equal opportunity for all stakeholders. By their actions, we ensure our organizational priorities and decision-making processes are the best they can be.
 
UWLWC’s commitment is clearly stated in the following guidelines:
  • Value, champion and embrace diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of UWLWC activities
  • Respect others without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other characteristic, including those protected by law
  • Treat people with dignity, respect and compassion
  • Foster a trusting work environment which supports and promotes equal opportunity; and which is free of harassment, intimidation and unlawful discrimination.
In summary, diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is an essential element to the success of our organization. We are committed to ensuring our actions conform to the spirit and intent of our strongly held values of inclusiveness, equal opportunity, dignity and respect for all. 
 
Voted and approved – May 24, 2012
 

EQUITY STATEMENT

For over 100 years equity has been the foundation of our work at the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties. From our engagement with donors to our investment of community resources to our interactions with the public, we strive to create an equal playing field for ALL residents.  We describe equity as the presence of justice and fairness within the framework of our organization and our community – our procedures, processes and distribution of resources by institutions or systems – and vehemently oppose discrimination in all forms. We commit to equity as a core value and practice to advance our mission of connecting people, resources and organizations to create a thriving community for everyone. Our mission compels us to prioritize historically marginalized and systematically excluded people. It is necessary to focus on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, as well as other intersectional identities, to end the historical, social and systemic inequities that persist in our region and nation.

We acknowledge that we can only be successful if we recognize, raise up and support leaders from underrepresented neighborhoods. United Way is committed to engaging these leaders as partners, donors and volunteers. Further, we commit to intentionally creating pathways for them to be included in decision-making and leadership roles within our own and other organizations. We can only eliminate inequity when all individuals reach their fullest human potential. We maintain that building and sustaining equity in our county requires an ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion that is fully expressed in our organizational culture, values, norms, behaviors and those of our partners.

Anti-Racism Statement

We acknowledge that racism can be unconscious or unintentional, and that identifying racism as an issue does not automatically mean those involved in the act are racist or intended the negative impact.  As an anti-racism organization we vow to purposefully identify, discuss and challenge issues of race and color and the impact(s) they have on our community, its systems, and its people.  We will also challenge ourselves to understand and correct any inequities we may discover and gain a better understanding of ourselves and those we serve.

We are resolved to explicitly and publicly affirm our identity as an anti-racist organization and unequivocally denounce racism/ethnic discrimination as it undermines the well-being and vitality of our community.

We are resolved that our anti-racism commitment be reflected in the life and culture of each department through our policies, programs and practices as we continue to learn about and continue to address racism.

We resolved to work with residents and public and private partners to co-create solutions that ensure everyone has the resources, supports, opportunities and networks they need to thrive.