Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Idealist

Working with others, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect, Idealist strives to help build a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. This mission cannot be achieved without the voices and perspectives of people from a wide variety of backgrounds. 

This statement expresses our values and provides a framework for how Idealist works toward fulfilling its mission.

Our Values

Idealist is deeply committed to creating an equitable, respectful, and inclusive environment for all staff, board members, contractors, volunteers, and members of our communities, regardless of their racial identity, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic resources, age, language, body type, family configuration, caste, spiritual or religious practices, or disability status.

In striving to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization, we acknowledge that many social and economic systems around the world are stacked against people who have faced discrimination and violence for centuries or more. The United States, where Idealist is headquartered, was founded upon the oppression and dispossession of Black and Indigenous people, and the upholding of white supremacy in many areas of our lives. The ramifications of these discriminatory practices continue to do damage today in the economic, professional, and personal lives of many.

We know that by listening to, learning from, engaging with, and hiring people from diverse backgrounds we enrich our organization and become more effective at achieving our goals. Failing to represent the diversity of our large and wonderful community in our staff would hamper our ability to build technology and provide content and programming to serve millions of people around the world.

We expect all Idealist staff, board members, and volunteers to uphold these values, and to live them out in everyday workspace interactions, in how we approach our work, and in how we support our communities. Together, we will continue to build organizational practices to ensure that these commitments are a strong and growing part of our organizational culture.

Our Work and Workplace

The work of building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization is two-fold. 

In our work, we will use our platforms to raise up a variety of voices from our community, with ideas and solutions for a more equitable world. We will continue to engage in conversations, listen to feedback via surveys and other means, and assimilate research that will inform our decision making so that Idealist can promote or provide tools, resources, and information that will be supportive and effective in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in communities everywhere.

Internally, we commit to ensuring that Idealist’s values are reflected in our policies, practices, and in how we treat each other. With staff input and regular internal reviews, as well as with the assistance of DEI consultants to assess and audit our organization, we will aim to continuously align our operations and behaviors with our values.

Idealist and the people who work here live in a society that continues to suffer from racism and other forms of discrimination. Building a better community and a better world by recognizing and dismantling these inherited systems and attitudes is the labor of generations, requiring commitment, iteration, and an openness to productive conflict—and Idealist is in it for the long haul.