At Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington, we value everyone. We believe that people of any race, color, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, physical and mental health or ability, nationality, faith, religion, socioeconomic status, political ideology, cultural background, military status or any other aspect that makes them unique are welcome and important. Together, we are building a community that fosters inclusion and values diversity, so we can equitably grant the wish of every eligible child.

We are committed to open and honest communication unless it diminishes and dehumanizes others or contributes to the spread of misinformation. We encourage others to do the same and acknowledge these conversations can be difficult. We believe this work enriches our community and makes us stronger together.

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Our chapter is committed to an equitable, inclusive and diverse environment to ensure we can meet our vision to grant a wish to every eligible child. Since 2018, we have intentionally invested resources to expand education and program evaluation to work toward creating more equitable experiences for wish families, staff, volunteers, donors, and community members. One of our first priorities was grounding ourselves in our understanding of, and a commitment to overcoming centuries of pervasive racism, sexism and cultural and religious biases that have created functional, economic, and structural barriers. To aid in this commitment we formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force (DEITF).

Since its creation, the DEITF has developed regular educational programming for staff, facilitated trainings with race and equity consultants and identified additional opportunities for growth. Some key initiatives include:

• Ongoing education for staff.
• Developing a work culture where topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion are discussed openly.
• Actively listening to different perspectives to enhance innovation and create a better experience for our wish families, volunteers, donors and staff.
• Creating more equitable hiring practices.
• Auditing and updating Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington resources to ensure accessibility.
• Identifying grant opportunities for our diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

We are proud of this work, but our work is not done. We are continually learning, growing and evaluating ways to improve. Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far: DEITF Accomplishments for FY2022

We recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion is ongoing work and will continue to evolve over time.  If you have questions or suggestions about our practices or initiatives we invite you to contact us at: [email protected].