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Resources on addressing equity internally

Charities failing to prioritise class diversity of employees, report says 


According to a new report by the EY Foundation, charities are not prioritising the class diversity of their workforce, and have been urged to collect data on their employees’ socioeconomic backgrounds to address this.

EY Foundation, 2024

"Charities risk being sidelined: organisations that do not reflect diverse society will struggle to understand it, let alone serve it."

Read the report

Reimagining international development: a call for justice-led approaches


A new article from Bond calls for a bold, justice-led transformation of international development. Drawing from a workshop of anti-racism and decolonisation experts, and economist Priya Lukka’s insights on repair-based approaches, the report outlines how we can move beyond traditional aid. From reparations and fair trade to reforming global governance and tax systems, this is a call to centre equity, sustainability, and the voices of historically marginalised communities in everything we do. #JusticeLedDevelopment

Bond, Waris Mahad, Lena Bheroo, September 2024

“What would global development look like if justice was embedded into its fabric at every level?”

Read the article

Creating a diverse and inclusive charity sector


At Bayes Business School’s Perspectives on Leadership event, charity leaders delivered a powerful reality check: the sector must move beyond performative allyship and buzzwords if it’s to genuinely lead on DEI. Panelists shared lived experiences and called out tokenism, marginalisation, and the urgent need for bolder inclusion strategies. #LeadWithEquity #DEIinCharity #PerspectivesOnLeadership

City and St. George’s, Hamish Armstrong, February 2025

“Charities have long claimed to lead the way in DEI initiatives, but this evening served as a stark reminder of just how much work still needs to be done – not just in creating equal opportunities in all work environments, but also in fully justifying a self-proclaimed status as exemplars across the sector.”

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ACEVO’s Pay & Equalities 2024 survey highlights little meaningful change


The ACEVO Pay and Equalities 2024 survey has once again highlighted that little meaningful change has been made on some of the key issues which continue to affect our sector’s leadership. This includes a highest hitting gender pay gap, a lack of investment in learning and development opportunities, and a lack of diversity across leadership and boards.

ACEVO 2024 Article

“We need chairs, boards of trustees, funders and others to recognise and acknowledge that the systemic challenges that we have been reporting for well over a decade are putting a brake on that change – and our sector, and the people we are here to serve, are losing out as a result.”

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion: progress in 2024


The Esmée Foundation has outlined its progress across nine key pillars, from investing in DEI training and strategies to funding organisations led by communities facing racial inequity. The Foundation has tracked its performance with comprehensive data, highlighting pay gaps, and is committed to refining its practices, focusing on racial justice, and fostering more inclusive funding. #DEIAction #InclusionProgress #EsméeFoundation

Esmee FairBairn, February 2025

“A summary of key actions we have taken during 2024 to make progress on our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. They are listed under the relevant pillar in ACF's Stronger Foundation's report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”

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Elevating Diversity: A New Chapter for the UK Charity Sector


In this article, Simon Roberts addresses the urgent need for increased diversity within the UK charity sector, particularly in leadership roles, where Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation remains at just 7%. Despite previous efforts, progress has been slow, especially in environmental charities. It calls for actionable strategies, including inclusive recruitment, mentorship programs, and diversity training, to break down systemic barriers and create a more inclusive and effective sector. #DiversityInCharity #InclusiveLeadership #DEI #BAMERepresentation

The Diversity Dashboard, Simon Roberts, March 2024

“It's a commitment to moving beyond the status quo, challenging existing structures, and embracing the transformative power of diversity. As we stand at this crossroads, the collective actions, policies, and commitments of today will shape the inclusive landscape of tomorrow.”

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Social Mobility in the Charity Sector


Report into social mobility in the charity sector finds that people from a low socioeconomic background are underrepresented in paid charity roles, compared to the average in public and private sectors. A range of action is needed to give the charity sector access to a wider talent pool and increase representation of low-income backgrounds in the sector.

EY Foundation 2024 Report

“The representation and visibility of diverse groups in CSOs are vital in promoting and achieving diversity and inclusion efforts.” 

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Who’s doing the asking? Diversity in the fundraising profession   


Analysis of an online survey of the fundraising community in the UK, including statistics on the characteristics of fundraisers, career progression opportunities, and perceptions of diversity. Recommended steps to increase diversity include establishing a dedicated task group and building qualitative research bases to complement statistics. #fundraising

Institute of Fundraising, December 2013

“There was a time when equality and diversity were key concerns of our sector and the corporates were slower to catch on. What changed?”

Read the report

Charity staff are highly qualified but this could be a barrier to diversity, warns NCVO report


NCVO’s 2019 industry statistics show voluntary sector staff are less likely to be from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. #employmentstatistics

NCVO, August 2019

“NCVO said charities should consider the consequences of expecting or requiring more qualifications and experience than are necessary for roles.” 

Read the article

New coalition of 13 UK foundations to tackle diversity, equity and inclusion 


Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) frameworks are being implemented globally, but are relatively new to the UK. A group of UK foundations have committed to tackling DEI and addressing systemic inequalities by committing to 3+ years developing a practice for themselves and others in the UK sector to learn from, resourced by funding coalitions to avoid capture by single donors. #fundingcoalitions

Alliance Magazine, October 2019

“It is imperative that as foundations we are equitable, transparent and representative, otherwise we are simply not effective.”   

Read the article

On equity in the international development sector — we need more intravists


Omakwu invites development workers to engage in 'intravism': activism which may not be externally visible, but occurs behind the scenes in closed door meetings and through email chains. Internal policies, power structures, consciousness of privilege and pay justice are amongst the pressure areas intravists can focus on to enable organisations to walk their talk. #allyship #advocacy

Devex, Blessing Omakwu, June 2020

“If you think your organisation is diverse because you hire black people in your Africa offices, think again. What do your America and Europe offices look like?”

Read the op-ed

From rhetoric to action — an equity roadmap for the aid community 


Paisible outlines five key approaches for advancing equity in INGOs: equity assessments, partnerships, culture, internally focused monitoring systems, and equity working groups. She recommends INGOs build on their existing organisational tools to combat structural racism in the sector. #partnerships #internalaccountability  

Devex, Roxanne Paisible, June 2020

“The INGO community’s noble intentions... does not make it immune to systems that perpetuate structural racism.” 

Read the op-ed

Holding the mirror up to ourselves: Diversity and inclusion practices and trends in Civil Society Organisations


The report finds that the external activities of civil society organisations (CSOs), including tackling inequality and exclusion, are not always reflected in their internal operations. This comprehensive report unpacks key concepts and definitions, covers what diversity and inclusion practices and trends look like in practice, and explores some possible recommendations for moving forwards. #organisationalculture

CIVICUS, January 2020

"Recruiting people from underrepresented socioeconomic backgrounds should not be seen as a stand-alone issue competing for attention with other protected characteristics."

Read the report

To establish truly diverse and inclusive organisations, we must understand the exclusionary factors at play


The Chief Executive of ActionAid speaks about a lack of diversity in the development sector from entry level to senior roles. He stresses that even if an organisation seeks to build an open, vibrant culture, some people experience the organisation very differently. Potential areas for analysis include recruitment, hierarchy, behaviours and culture. #workplaceculture 

ThirdSector, Girish Menon, February 2020

“Some are personal (as felt by the individual), some are contextual (where some specific settings may be exclusionary), some are structural (caused by the configuration of organisations and their own processes and systems) and some are systemic (rooted in behaviours and culture).”   

Read the blog post

A more inclusive leadership style is how the sector lives its values 


The executive director of the Equality Trust discusses the benefits of a more inclusive approach in civil society organisations. Her commentary forms part of a series of articles by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders on the question ‘What does the future of civil society leadership look like?’ Wyporska compels organisations and boards in particular to embrace diverse styles of leadership and diverse leaders. #boards

Civil Society, Wanda Wyporska, July 2019

“It should not be regarded as ‘bold’ to appoint a Black or Asian leader or a disabled leader.”

Read the op-ed

Practicing Equity: Activating Oppositional Consciousness from the Margin


Murphy discusses how practicing equity begins with elevating ideas and strategies of marginalised peoples. She argues foundations must make investments in leadership development programmes, and assess whether oppositional consciousness and knowledge creation are being stifled. #foundations #leadershipequity

Nonprofit Quarterly, Zuri C. Murphy, February 2020

“If we are going to successfully create more leadership equity, we should begin with a discussion of how inequity is established and maintained.”

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Our Journey So Far pt.1


NCVO’s working group committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) discusses the tension between wanting to move forward quickly and wanting to do the deep, time-consuming work to achieve equity. Hiring a consultant specialising in EDI has helped them diagnose and begin to take action, as well as meeting the team at Charity So White. #casestudy

NCVO, March 2020

“If we don’t acknowledge how systemic oppressions including racism, sexism, classism, disabilism, homophobia and transphobia operate in our sector, we risk further harming or oppressing the very people we intend to serve.”

Read the blog post

Why are we still struggling with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nonprofit Governance?


Writing in the journal of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organisatons and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), this post details the need for a revised narrative around power differentials before power can be redistributed to enable greater diversity within the sector. Suggestions on how to do so include ensuring organisations must stay alert for tokenism, and employing technical solutions for greater accountability, such as tracking diversity metrics. #boarddemographics 

Nonprofit Quarterly, Elizabeth A. Castillo, November 2018

"[E]mbracing diversity creates stability through equity... In embracing diversity and shared power, we create the structural architecture that ensures our own well-being, too."

Read the article

Driving DEI - Reflections on implementing DEI changes within UK Grantmaking Foundations


In this report, members of the DEI Coalition reflect on their two-year journey embedding diversity, equity and inclusion within their foundations. They share lessons learned—from the need to align internal culture with external aims, to the importance of starting the work even when outcomes aren't perfect. The coalition highlights actions such as equitable grantmaking, inclusive recruitment, and deepened community engagement. #DrivingDEI

DEI Coalition 2021 Report

"You can’t address the external without addressing the internal."

Read the report

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Cover photo by Isabella Jusková.  

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