Nonprofit boards have traditionally had a difficult time achieving inclusivity. Even when boards appoint a member, of a previously not represented group, it is a challenge to welcome and integrate him or her into the workings of the group. Here are 12 other questions you can ask to create better inclusivity.

Women in Music is an organization with a mission to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition. From LA to Japan, our members are a diverse group of individuals at all stages in their careers — from students to seasoned industry veterans.

The often-used terms diversity, equity, and inclusion have distinct meanings. People get tripped up not only on definitions, but also on using these terms to create goals and action plans for themselves and their organizational culture. There is no better time to dig deep and establish shared, fundamental understandings to build truly supportive and effective workplaces.

Volunteer with Music Forward and join our mission of transforming young lives, inspiring careers, and championing a more inclusive music industry. Help redefine what’s possible for the next generation of music industry leaders and innovators by sharing your insight, knowledge and skills at programs and events that connect passions to professions.

Using previous academic research from The University of Waterloo and Duke University which outlined a series of male and female gender-coded words, we analysed 76,929 job adverts over a six week period to assess the frequency of gender-coded words in UK recruitment.

Unfortunately, there is nowhere more apparent where our unconscious bias plays out than during the recruitment process; when recruiters are told time and again to ‘trust your gut’ – to rely on and make decisions based on our intuition. But as you’ll discover later on, intuition is based on, yup, you guessed it, unconscious bias.

The purpose of the IDEA committee is to create and share resources for members to use in their efforts to work toward greater equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility; to amplify initiatives launched by other groups and organizations within the entertainment industry; and encourage venues, promoters, and festivals to prioritize and support IDEA work and initiatives within their businesses and communities.

How good is your diversity statement? The best diversity statements include: the company’s mission, a commitment to diversity, mention of specific underrepresented groups, positive and inclusive language, and unique information or benefits for diverse groups. These 25+ examples are either excellent overall or at least have an idea or two for you to consider.

Psychological safety is the belief that you can take risks and put forward ideas without facing ridicule or retaliation. More often than not, it’s women — especially women of color — who don’t feel comfortable doing so.

Practical tips and resources for independent venues, promoters and festivals, curated by NIVA's DEI Taskforce

Our mission is to hold accountable the industry at large, including major corporations and their partners, who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people. It is the obligation of these entities to protect and empower the Black communities that have made them disproportionately wealthy in ways that are measurable and transparent. If you are an owner of a music company or business, consider implementing some or all of #TheShowMustBePaused Action Items.

A list of organizations working on Diversity and Inclusion in the Music and Audio Industry, provided by Soundgirls.

Music Forward inspires ambition and creates a momentum to redefine what’s possible for the young people and the industry we serve. Focusing on young people ages 12-22 in underserved communities, we set the stage for success by providing workshops and showcases to inspire the next generation of music industry leaders, innovators, and artists.

Most of the tools and articles on organizational implementation of DEI principles cover topics about boards, bylaws, and hiring practices. But what about DEI and finance? What are the links between them? Inequitable and unjust practices easily and unconsciously embed into systems and structures around payroll and finance. Let’s talk about 4 areas where you can examine your financial operations relative to DEI.

Despite our reliance on people, we have a bunch of no good, very bad habits in hiring. This includes a terrible habit that many of us have, one that perpetuates gender and other inequities, and increases the power imbalance between employers and employees: Not listing salary ranges on job postings, and putting “DOE,” which stands for “Depending On Experience” instead.

Committing to hiring practices that embrace diversity and inclusiveness requires an investment of time and resources. But, as the following five suggestions illustrate, there are many small but effective methods HR professionals can implement to change hiring practices at their organizations for the better.

Making Spaces Safer: A Guide to Giving Harassment the Boot Wherever You Work, Play, and Gather. This book by Shawna Potter is a clear and concise guide for public spaces of all sorts—from art galleries to bagel shops to concert halls—that want to shut down harassers wherever they show up.

NAF is a blog that discusses all things nonprofit with a slant toward equity, including the challenges faced by leaders and organizations of color. Topics include bringing more inclusive hiring and fundraising practices into the nonprofit sector.

An interactive website offering recommendations for a number of different areas related to DEI in the workplace. While they are mostly geared toward tech companies, each area includes case studies and other helpful articles and resources at the bottom of the specific suggestions provided. As a result, we think this is a great resource for folks in any industry.

As a part of their Equity, Diversity & Inclusion work, Denver Arts & Venues presents a video series on integrating anti-racism into your organizational structure. Dwinita Mosby Tyler of the Equity Project and Tariana Navas-Nieves of Denver Arts & Venues discuss the necessary work organizations must commit to in order to be anti-racist, with a focus on tactical and actionable steps.