AFP Central Ohio Statement on IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) 

Central Ohio AFP Board of Directors

AFP’s vision is to stimulate a world of generosity and positive social good through fundraising best practice. Our mission is to empower individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising through professional education, networking, research and advocacy. As part of our commitment to educating and encouraging our members and the nonprofit sector to better serve their respective communities, we value inclusiveness, equity, access and justice as essential sources of vitality and strength. This commitment to inclusiveness empowers the effective and equitable pursuit of our chapter and profession’s mission.

AFP Global defines diversity as the seeking and achieving of a broad representation of experiences, perspectives, opinions and cultures. Bearing in mind our organizational commitment to diversity as an ongoing proactive process in its governance, chapters, committees, membership, programs and activities, AFP, both the global organization and local chapter, has an opportunity and a responsibility to invest in and to lead the charge in the areas of equity and access in the nonprofit sector. Philanthropy requires a continuous renewal of ideas and perspectives that reflect the evolving needs and diversity of the communities it is embedded in through the equitable participation of its members.

As such, the AFP Central Ohio Chapter values individual and organizational diversity in all dimensions including gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical abilities, and socio-economic status. The differences and similarities that make us diverse can be internal (dimensions one is born with), external (dimensions that can change over time), or situational (dimensions that can change based on one’s vocation or life experience). As part of our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access, the AFP Central Ohio Board of Directors will practice regular, proactive exploration of potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions and biases that interfere with inclusiveness. We are committed to ensuring that our profession and chapter:

• Provides equal access and opportunity to all members; 
• Proactively engages current members;
• Intentionally seeks new members from diverse backgrounds and interests;
• All chapter materials use inclusive language and imagery that reflect AFP’s IDEA commitment
• Advances inclusion throughout decision making and leadership roles; and,
• Reflects the communities in which we live, work and serve.

The AFP Central Ohio Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Committee furthermore commits to working closely and collaboratively with all other AFP Central Ohio committees to model and measure best practices in the areas of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.

For additional information regarding the chapter’s strategies for implementing IDEA and methods of tracking and measuring progress, please refer to the IDEA section of the most recent version of the chapter’s strategic plan which can be found on the chapter’s website.

Originally written and approved in 2014. Reapproved in 2017. Modified/approved in 2020. Reapproved in 2021. Amended and reapproved 11/21/22