Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CNFA is committed to building an inclusive, varied workplace welcoming people of all backgrounds with the goal of fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Approach

At CNFA, we believe that creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplace is essential for our success as an organization. Our approach to DEI is centered around three key pillars: education, awareness, and action.

  • Education – We provide ongoing training and education opportunities for all employees to deepen their understanding of DEI topics, including unconscious bias, cultural competence, and intersectionality. This education is not only important for individual growth and development, but also to help foster a more inclusive and respectful workplace culture.
  • Awareness – We strive to raise awareness about the importance of DEI throughout our organization and with our partners. This includes actively seeking out diverse perspectives, promoting inclusion in all aspects of our work, and ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.
  • Action – We are committed to taking action to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. This includes implementing policies and procedures that promote DEI, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups to thrive and succeed within our organization.

Our Priorities

We recognize that creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace is an ongoing process that requires continued effort and dedication. We also understand that DEI is not a project or a trend. As an organization, we have made an intentional commitment to continually evaluate and improve our approach to DEI, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive workplace that values everyone and where all employees are heard, seen, treated with dignity and respect, and empowered to reach their full potential.

  • Diversity and Inclusion – Diversity is intersectional, and everyone has a unique identity and personal experience. These experiences contribute to what we know as “diversity of thought,” which is integral to reinforcing an inclusive culture and creating belonging.
  • Equity – We are committed to achieving equity by addressing systemic inequalities and promoting fairness in all aspects of our work, including in our hiring practices, program design and implementation, and organizational culture. We acknowledge that historical and structural biases exist, and we are actively working to identify and remove them to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to succeed. We seek to provide resources, support, and opportunities to underrepresented groups and individuals and to reduce disparities wherever they exist.
  • Accountability – We recognize that DEI must be both a top-down and bottom-up initiative and that it takes all of our staff to make DEI possible. CNFA’s DEI Committee is made up of volunteer team members from across the organization and works closely with the organization’s leadership, offering frequent feedback, strategic planning, and recommendations on ways to enhance employee engagement and performance as it pertains to DEI. By being transparent and proactive in our approach, the committee aims to encourage accountability among leadership and throughout CNFA.
  • Sustainability – We identify both immediate and long-term goals to advance DEI, creating change that is sustainable for our employees today and in the future.

Our Partnerships

We understand the importance of establishing and maintaining partnerships with peer international development organizations to address systemic issues, combat racial inequity, and promote inclusivity.

We have taken deliberate steps to demonstrate this commitment, such as by joining the Coalition for Racial and Ethnic Equity in Development (CREED), a group of development and humanitarian organizations headquartered in the U.S. but with an international presence that is dedicated to promoting racial and ethnic equity.

We have also partnered with universities such as Gallaudet University and several historically Black colleges and universities, including North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, Morgan State University, and more, to promote pathways into international development through our internship program and other career opportunities.

Additionally, CNFA works with partners such as Hiring Our Heroes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing career opportunities to military veterans and their spouses, and several other organizations, including: