United Way of Greater New Haven is committed to creating a community where all children are nurtured, all families are thriving, and all community members have opportunities to reach their full potential. We recognize that structural racism, discrimination, and other forms of oppression have contributed to disparities that have existed in the past and persist in the present and, if not addressed, will prevent us from achieving this vision.
We vigorously reject and vehemently oppose racism, sexism, discrimination, prejudice, and injustice in all forms. We remain committed to building a future of greater opportunity and true equity for all people living in our community, and we believe access to opportunities should not be predicated by one’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or where they were born. We are committed to ensuring all community members feel valued and included and we expect our staff, board members, volunteers, partner organizations, grantees, vendors, and key collaborators to uphold these standards.
We acknowledge as an organization that we have contributed to inequities in our community. We have made strides in changing our own internal practices, while recognizing that we have more learning and more work to do. As we move forward, United Way of Greater New Haven commits to taking positive action to fight structural racism and all forms of discrimination by:
• dismantling the structural barriers to equity from past and present systemic racism that have impeded the health, safety, and wellbeing of traditionally marginalized people;
• elevating community voices and welcoming a diversity of beliefs and views;
• co-creating solutions with our community that will ensure that everyone has the resources, support, opportunities, and networks they need to thrive;
• advocating for social justice;
• engaging in ongoing training to address our biases and learn more about our community; and
• holding ourselves and our community partners accountable.
