Diversity and Inclusion Plan

Non-Discrimination Policy Statement:

BroadFutures is committed to maintaining and promoting a community which recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals; fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. BroadFutures is highly committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and seeks to develop and nurture values. BroadFutures believes that diversity strengthens and enriches our community.

BroadFutures prohibits discrimination in any of its activities or operations on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin or ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. BroadFutures will conduct its programs, services and activities consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and orders. All personnel who are responsible for hiring and managing employees, as well as for the development and implementation of programs or activities, are charged with supporting this effort and responding promptly and appropriately to any concerns that are brought to their attention.

Vision Statement on Inclusion and Access :

BroadFutures aspires to be a collaborative, inclusive and caring community that strives for inclusion and equal opportunity in everything that we do. We strive to create a nurturing environment that promotes success for all and sees inclusion and access as a source of enrichment and strength.

Inclusion and access are at the very core of BroadFutures’ mission— BroadFutures’ mission by definition is to inspire inclusion by supporting and promoting opportunities for diverse learners within the workplace. While we are proud of our accomplishments with respect to inclusion and access to date, we are committed to continuing to improve and expand upon our present efforts.

Present State of Inclusion and Access:

Staff/Board of Trustees: We have a small staff and Board of Trustees. However, given our strong commitment to inclusion, we strive for diversity on our staff as well as our Board, and presently have diverse learners, women, men, and people of color all serving our mission. In an effort to ensure diversity of culture as well, we have been engaged in a partnership with Atlas Corps. This has afforded us the opportunity to bring a fellow into our organization from Zimbabwe, offering diverse perspectives that have enriched our programming.

Program Participants : We presently serve a broad range of young adults from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. All of those that we serve have diagnosed disabilities, and many of those we serve identify as persons of color. In an effort to ensure our program is accessible to all, we have a strong commitment to financial aid and employ a need-blind admissions policy. We work with the District of Columbia and other partners who provide sources of funding for a healthy financial aid program for those who need assistance.

Strategic Vision and Priorities:

BroadFutures is committed to expanding its commitment to inclusion and access. We would like to attract top talent that also represents the diversity of our community. We strive to attract more individuals with learning and related disabilities to become members of our staff, as well as other underrepresented and culturally diverse groups.

We would also like to continue to expand upon the diversity of our participants and improve access to our program. We hope to engage consultants to assist us in our marketing efforts aimed strategically at expanding our outreach to underrepresented communities as well as to a wider geographic area.

Our present financial aid program is wholly needs-based. Should we be able to increase our funding, we could be in a position to enlarge our financial aid program to include merit scholarships, would would have the potential of providing access to individuals and communities we may not yet be reaching. To date, we have been able to provide financial need to 100% of participants who qualified for such aid; however, our financial aid applicants to date represent only 10-15% of our participants. Our goal is to reach a point where 20-25% of our participants are receiving some type of financial aid. This number will grow as we expand our outreach efforts through targeted marketing, as our program grows in size, and as knowledge of our program grows organically.