The Collins Foundation Shares our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan

2015 was an eventful year at The Collins Foundation! Among other milestones, we capped off a two-year planning effort to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion more deeply into both our organization and our grantmaking by adopting a DEI Plan to inform our work over the next three years

We started having conversations around equity and inclusion several years, prompted in part by the GRANTMAKERS of Oregon & Southwest Washington's reportGrantmaking to Communities of Color, which we were proud to support, and increased engagement with the Coalition of Communities of Color that grew out of that report. Through this process, we've had several opportunities to reflect on our values and consider how we can express those values more fully within our organization and through our grantmaking -- particularly in light of changing demographics in Oregon and persistent inequities impacting some communities, especially communities of color. The last two years, in particular, have been a tremendous learning experience for all of us, thanks in large part to the the consulting support of Kevin Jones and Lesli Mones, of the August Wilson Red Door Project, along with Bonnie Ratner.

We are excited to share our DEI plan in our 2015 annual report and you can see it on our website. We trust that our deepening attention to equity will enhance our effectiveness as grantmakers in Oregon.