We believe that people of any race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, faith, religion, age, physical and mental ability, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, nationality, cultural background, military status, or any other aspect which makes them unique are welcome and important. It is only through our mosaic of backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences that we can grant life-changing wishes to every eligible child. We will reflect the diversity of our community in our organizational governance, volunteer structure, staffing, funding decisions, and policies. Through this mindfulness we foster an organization that is not only accessible but welcoming. 

At Make–A–Wish Minnesota, we strive to have a diverse donor base that reflects our wish kids and their families. As well as staff and volunteers that reflect and understand kids either through their background and experiences and/or through training. We educate staff on issues of diversity with the goal of greater wish child inclusiveness. 

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 2017, 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, Inclusion & Belonging Council (DEIBC).

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

• Providing DEIB resources for the monthly staff newsletters and holding monthly discussion groups to start a new conversation within the workplace, through both research and collaboration with outside experts and organizations. Topics range from intersectionality, neurodiversity, mental health in the workplace, gender diversity, psychological safety, learning about Black History and Pride Months to financial literacy.
• Recruiting DEIBC members.
• Researching, identifying, and recommending DEIB training resources for all staff to senior leadership.
• Maintaining the DEIB library of educational books for staff and volunteers and encouraging staff to use available resources to continue their education using the library and National DEIB Resources.
• Using new perspectives and activities brought forth by staff to develop disciplines and policies and bring a variety of viewpoints to the conversation.

We recognize that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging is ongoing and will continue to evolve over time. If you have questions or suggestions about our practices or initiatives, we invite you to contact Jennifer Wixon Carlson, VP of Operations and co-chair of DEIBC.