Equity Statements
Diversity and Inclusion Policy
United Way of San Luis Obispo County recognizes the strength that results from a community of unique individuals. We embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community and are committed to integrity, inclusiveness, and service to our community with diligence and caring.
We especially value the commitment and diversity of experience, ethnicity, socioeconomic conditions, geographic location, and professional background of our board, staff and volunteers in supporting the families, neighborhoods and communities that we serve. The board and staff shall be representative of the community we serve and encouraged to engage our community without discrimination.
No individual shall be discriminated against on any basis, including but not limited to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, ancestry, veteran status, or status as a qualified disabled or handicapped individual. United Way relies on the board, staff, and volunteers for their dedication, expertise and judgment to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. We build on the diversity of people, their ideas and perspectives. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of what it means to LIVE UNITED.
United Way of SLO County’s Statement of Anti-Racism
For more than 60 years, United Way SLO County has worked to address all forms of structural inequality, so that everyone who calls SLO County home has the opportunity to thrive.
The co-occurring crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and police violence toward people of color have once again revealed that racial injustice that is intertwined with America’s past and its present. It is structural, institutional, and systemic.
In order for us to create and sustain communities where all are given what they need to thrive, we must address larger systemic issues such as institutional racism. We must work to co-create communities where all people can live without fear of racism, discrimination and violence.
United Way SLO County affirms and commits to the following as the guiding principles and values in our efforts to advance equity and justice:
We commit to dismantling systemic racism, redressing past discrimination, and advancing equity within our organizations, in our communities, and in our nation–through our organizational policies and practices, in our programmatic work and by advocating for changes in public policy and law. Racial and ethnic disparities are a direct result of systemic racism today as well as past, unremedied discrimination that was often imposed or sanctioned by the government. Addressing these disparities requires our active engagement to change law, policy, and practice.
We are committed to achieving a more comprehensive approach to justice and safety that invests needed resources in schools, child care, mental and behavioral health, affordable housing, job training, and other supportive programs and services that contribute to healthy, strong, safe, and vibrant communities. Societal goals of racial justice and public safety are best achieved when communities have the resources to match crisis situations with an appropriate response, whether that be mental and behavioral health, social service, police, or other interventions.
As we work to strengthen communities, we must listen to and lift up the voices and experiences of impacted people and communities, particularly the voices of young people in those communities who will lead future generations. Intentionally engaging impacted communities strengthens policies, strategies, and decision-making. When we center and address the needs of the most marginalized, we recognize their humanity and advance equity and opportunity for all.
As we evaluate our programmatic work, we will specifically examine the extent to which they decrease racial disparities and oppression, particularly in systems and settings known to disproportionately and negatively impact people of color and other marginalized groups; advance solutions that have been developed in collaboration with and have the support of impacted communities; incorporate an intersectional and multi-sector approach to community challenges; and include the investments needed to fully implement and achieve racial equity outcomes.
With this statement, we reaffirm our commitment to serving all who call San Luis Obispo County home.