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In keeping with our stand to welcome all women who value our Mission, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Committee brings together members of JLP who are engaged in diversity outreach and educational initiatives, surrounding, but not limited to: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, and sexual orientation. The committee meets monthly to discuss, communicate and create league-wide initiatives and events that support the goal of enhancing the environment for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across JLP. As events and incidents occur in our local community, state-wide, or at a national level, the committee serves as a resource for opportunities for learning and advocacy for those members who choose to participate in this way.
Our work aligns with the efforts of The Associations of Junior Leagues International, and we have adopted their D&I Commitment Statement: The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.
For more information on the Association of Junior Leagues International’s work on diversity, equity, and inclusion, click here.
The Junior League of Philadelphia, in the creation of its 2020 - 2025 Strategic Plan, included several initiatives focusing on expanding its diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. Below are some of our initiatives:
- Actively seek, welcome, and value the unique backgrounds and perspectives of all members and reflect the rich diversity of the Greater Philadelphia region.
- Create and implement a strategic recruiting plan to identify diverse new member sources.
- Evaluate and implement methods to make membership financially accessible.
- Promote a culture of inclusion, and ensure members’ voices are heard across the League.
- Retain diverse members by promoting a culture of inclusion, and deconstruct organizational silos that lead to exclusive cultures.
- Develop and deploy strategies that usher a culture of inclusion in a manner that is more relational by way of focusing on what the aggregate group has in common.
- Provide training and education on cultural competency, implicit bias awareness, and inclusion learning for all members.
- Research and request bids from vendors (suppliers, consultants, and other providers of goods and services) that are from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.
- Co-locate and strategically work with diverse groups that reflect the audience we serve, and design and implement community-centered programs and initiatives for greater impact.
- Facilitate periodic evaluations to identify promising practices.