DEI: Re-examining League Processes & Procedures 

Self Assessment

The process to build a more inclusive organization begins with self-reflection, analysis and understanding on a personal as well as on an organizational level.  A test developed by  Harvard University and collaborators as part of Project Implicit,  can help individuals gain insight into internally held believes they many not even be aware of.  This could be a starting point for discussing DEI in your local league. 

Below are some questions for your League  to work through to take a deeper look at your League’s current processes and procedures. It’s important to have commitment to this process by your League’s Board and to approach these tasks with clear-eyed compassion. 

General Questions

• Do you have a DEI team or task force that is charged with looking at how to weave DEI throughout your work?
• How is your Board continuing to have discussions about, and learning more about issues of racism, implicit biases and structural and institutional policies which have historically kept communities of color and low-income people from participating fully in society? How do you celebrate the diversity of ideas and people?
• • Holidays, culture, and foods of people who provide new ethnic richness to the community
  • Events and programs affecting and/or impacting disadvantaged communities
  • Spotlights on League members who exemplify and provide leadership around our work on DEI
  • Spirit of the League Awards acknowledging diverse leaders and volunteers or folks who work on DEI
• Has your League committed to improving diversity?
• What goals has your League created to hold itself accountable?

Leadership

• Who are your leaders and board members?
• Is there diversity? Young members, members from communities of color, members from disadvantaged or often misaligned groups? Members from areas of your community which have historically had no voice?
• What barriers to bringing in diversity are there?
• Who are your volunteers? Committee chairs and members? Actively  engaged in League work?
• Who are your interns and (where applicable) paid staff?
• What are you doing to mentor, train, and support your next generation of leaders?
• Are the folks on the nominating committee diverse or do they have goals to nominate a diverse pool of candidates? Has the nominating committee reviewed membership and the wider community to find candidates who represent a diversity of views and backgrounds?

Membership

• Is there an orientation or onboarding for new members to welcome them and help acclimate them to League?
• Are there opportunities for socializing and community building? 
• Are there opportunities for feedback and open communication?
• Are leaders constantly mentoring upcoming leaders and sharing power? These may be non-traditional ways to mentor, so be creative and innovative in thinking about how to engage and support newcomers into the League.

Events

• Are all meetings on the calendar with contact information in time for sufficient notice?
• Is your League responding to current events and partnering on rallies/events?
• Are there barriers to attending events?
• Language barriers?
• Physical barriers?
• Who are your speakers, presenters, and panelists? Are they representative and reflective of the community’s diverse population?
• Who are you inviting to attend? (local elected officials, community groups, community partners, etc.)
• What images are you using in your presentation? This is important -- as those images can reinforce stereotypes of who the League is!
• How are you starting each program? (Welcome, recognition of Native American land, introductions with gender pronouns, etc.)
• Are you setting aside time to build community at the beginning of each meeting to check-in or welcome new members? (See page # for community building tips)
• How are people introducing themselves? (name, pronouns, position?)
• What types of food options are being offered? (Vegetarian, gluten free, halal, etc.)
• Annual Meeting: Are you considering all of the questions above for your annual meeting? This can be an opportunity to bring new folks
• Program Planning: Are you picking issues that are relevant to everyone in your community or just those in power?
• Are there issues that you can focus on that might bring in a more diverse membership?

Communication

• Does your League have a DEI policy and definitions that it's adopted? See the LWVWA DEI Policy.
• Are those definitions and policies on your website, social media, etc.?
• Do you trumpet your work around DEI to the community?
• Do you have diversity in your pictures, writers, contributors, and content?
• Note: Although these things are important, it’s important to do the work throughout your organization, otherwise this is just tokenism.

Questions for Individuals

These are some questions to ask at your meetings and events and reflect upon afterwards

• Who is speaking? Who isn’t?
• Can you help lift or amplify the voices of others?
• Do you speak up when you see someone being treated unfairly because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or background.
• Are the members on your committees diverse? Studies have shown that people are more likely to vote or register to vote if the person approaching them is from their community.  Studies have also shown that trusted messengers are more successful in providing education in health and a variety of settings.  
• Are you reaching out to all of the areas that your League covers and focusing on communities that are typically underrepresented?
• Are you leveraging your partnerships to reach underrepresented communities and letting them lead the charge?