Mike's Message Takeover: Diversity Should Be as Easy as Breathing

“Breath is the bridge that connects life to consciousness which unites your body to your thoughts” – Thich Nhat Hanh

April is Diversity Month. It is the month when we celebrate diversity and foster a deeper understanding of others, improve how we interface, inspire, support, and build each other up. It is also a time to celebrate, not tolerate, the seen and unseen beauties of what makes each of us special, unique, and of value.

April also draws me nearer to my one-year anniversary as Head of IDEA at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Global. Since my official onboarding date of May 2, 2023, my lived experience continues to be an exhilarating and joyful journey. Having the privilege of meeting so many in the AFP community and becoming familiar with its programs and initiatives energizes me with each encounter. It has become apparent, to me, that the continued focus should be on building and strengthening relationships so that IDEA can become as easy as breathing. Where there is trust, and a culture that embraces authenticity, inclusion, dignity, and respect, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

As with healthy relationships, proper breathing techniques help to reduce anxiety, depression, manage stress, improve focus, mental health, sleep, relieve pain, and aid in expedited recovery from exertion. When we purposefully exhale unconscious biases, negative perceptions of others, and tendencies to exert microaggressions, we then can effectively inhale. Be courageous and free to inhale acceptance, and the ability to celebrate the uniqueness that others bring to the table. Let us breathe deeply, consistently, and often. By intentionally stepping out of our comfort zone, we allow ourselves to see things through an unclouded lens so that we can practice emotional intelligence. Having a more positive approach in how we interact and perceive others purifies the atmosphere so that our breathing is effortless in increasing our capacity to build more viable relationships.

So, what have we been doing to move towards building healthier relationships? We are providing additional support to AFP chapters and value to its members by putting several initiatives in place. Some of these initiatives include:

• Established an IDEA Chapter Chair Network to increase connections and resources to IDEA Chapter Chairs (Patrick N. Bondo is chair)
• Established an AFP Affinity Group Advisory Team to improve structure and functionality, co-led by Alicia Coppley, CFRE and Adrienne McDade-Taylor, CFRE, MA, MBA
• Added the Consulting and Muslim Affinity Groups
• Established working subcommittees for the IDEA Committee (T. Clay Buck, CFRE chairs the IDEA Committee)
• Established working subcommittees for the Women’s Impact Initiative (WII) Committees (Teresa Cheng, CFRE chairs the WII Committee)
• Improving the application selection process to be more equitable for all applicants for the Diverse Communities Scholarship Program, led by Manju Ramachandran, CFRE
• Improving the application forms for the Blackbaud Emerging Leader Mentorship Program, led by JP Paul, and the Alford Group WII Mentorship Program, led by Allisson Quintanilla Plattsmier, ED.D., CFRE, CAP®, ACNP 
• Developed AFP’s first IDEA organizational chart
• Created a centralized database to improve IDEA initiatives monitoring
• Created a general IDEA mailbox to improve manageability and response of IDEA related inquiries and feedback 
• Organized the inaugural ICON IDEA Reception
• Dedicating space specifically for IDEA in the ICON AFP HUB
• Increasing the number of recipients/awardees for IDEA scholarship and mentorship programs
• Reestablishing the IDEA Ambassador Network to provide increase support to chapters and IDEA and WII initiatives

What can you potentially expect next?

• Providing IDEA specific training
• Clarifying and formalizing policy and procedures for the IDEA Committee, and programs that it supports
• Organizing a WII Conference for 2025
• Developing and conducting a bi-annual IDEA specific survey followed by Huddle Sessions for more inclusive data gathering and feedback, and a plan to address issues and recommendations identified from the survey and huddle sessions
• Publishing a comprehensive IDEA annual report
• Improving systems to better manage interest and inquiries regarding joining affinity groups and requesting presenters for chapters and IDEA and WII initiatives
• Modifying the IDEA website for improved navigability and clarity
• Establishing an alumni network for IDEA scholarship and mentorship programs
• Developing a White Paper with recommendations on how AFP can improve access and opportunity

If you are attending ICON in Toronto, we encourage you to attend the Alford Group IDEA session, which is among many IDEA-related education sessions. Also, stop by the IDEA counter at the AFP HUB, join in on the affinity group meetings, and network at the IDEA reception. We would love to connect with you and share what we are doing, and how you can engage. In the meantime, please view Inclusion Starts With I by Accenture to see how we view and treat others impacts our ability to connect. In addition, you can submit your questions, feedback, and suggestions at afpidea@afpglobal.org.