Diversity and Inclusion

At Aspen Leadership Group, we believe that an organization’s capacity to reflect and respond to the rich diversity of our society profoundly impacts its ability to fulfill its mission. Accordingly, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our own company and in partnership with our clients and the individuals we serve.

Because we are in constant communication with philanthropy professionals inside and outside searches, we have developed a strong reputation as a trusted partner committed to supporting the career goals of diverse members of our community. We also support leaders who are dedicated to building inclusive organizations; we help our clients build diverse teams, not just diverse candidate pools. We partner with clients to strengthen diversity within their organizations and in their engagement strategies through consulting, supporting courageous conversations, and sharing resources.

Contributions and Activities

Thought Leadership

• Angelique Grant and Ron Schiller wrote the first comprehensive book on DEI for the advancement profession, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Advancement: Strengthening Fundraising and Engagement Through Inclusion (CASE 2020).
• We are authors of articles and white papers, including: “Diversity and Inclusion in Healthcare Advancement: Changing Behaviors and Outcomes”
• We frequently serve as speakers and facilitators at conferences with CASE, AFP, AHP, AADO, WOC, Allies in Action, and CHANGE Philanthropy. Our team also is cited in industry publications, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Inside Philanthropy, CASE Currents, and more.

Consulting and Education

Aspen Leadership Group offers consulting services that advise nonprofit and advancement leaders on inclusive practices for recruitment and creating a culture of philanthropy in order to maximize fundraising effectiveness. We work with our affiliates, including Angelique Grant at The Inclusion Firm and Kathleen Loehr & Associates, to refer services for DEI training and workshops, audits and assessments, and strategic planning.

Partnerships

ALG has established strong relationships with various industry associations to increase diversity in the nonprofit sector. For years, we have built lasting, deep partnerships with numerous organizations as advisory board members, volunteer chairs, presenting at and attending conferences, and meeting with leaders as they build their capacity. Our industry partnerships and activities include:

• The African American Development Officers Network (AADO);
• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and AADO Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership;
• CASE’s Minority Advancement Institute (MAI);
• Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC) and Allies in Action (board and advisory roles)
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
• Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
• Affinity membership organizations for professionals in philanthropy
• The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute; and many more.

Focus on Anti-Racism

Philanthropy is about promoting the welfare of others. It connects us and brings out the best in us. We as a society, however, including all of us involved in philanthropy, have fallen short in our anti-racism work. Aspen Leadership Group and our clients have made progress in advancing inclusive practices and diverse representation in the field of philanthropy. But ongoing and severe racial injustice in our organizations and in our society at large requires that we work together as a sector to create better, actively implemented anti-racism practices. To live out our values, ALG has committed to the following:

• We will continue our internal work as a team around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), increasing our attention to anti-racism work.
• We will continue our practice of holding DE&I conversations with clients, committing to addressing DE&I with every client. We will ask all clients to be explicit about their DE&I commitments, and we will support their efforts in fostering truly inclusive workplaces.
• We will continue to work closely with candidates and with affinity organizations to advance the careers of professionals from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, and we will increase the resources we provide to those professionals.
• We will expand our partnerships with organizations committed to creating a new generation of nonprofit leaders prepared to provide leadership in DE&I.