Increasing conversations and promoting community action around equity are core priorities for Pillar. We aim to increase the understanding of issues around equity and inclusion in our community, and offer support to nonprofits and social enterprises to develop inclusive workplaces.
Pillar’s journey to starting a dialogue about the realities of Anti-Black racism
Pillar’s Director of Equity, Inclusion & Governance, Dharshi Lacey, shares what she has learned so far about how we can best support the local Black community in the ongoing fight against oppression and racism. In the middle of a global pandemic, we watched and could not look away as George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis,
What does it mean to act as an Ally?
By Eaman Fahmy, Inclusive Program Designer, Pillar Nonprofit Network | ALLY acronym attributed to Kayla Reed on Twitter At this tipping point in history, those of us who possess power and privilege are being called upon to act. But before action, we must first pause and reflect. We must reflect upon how we operate at the
Best practices in equity and inclusion for the nonprofit sector
In the early 2000s, nonprofit sector research showed that newcomers, visible minorities and under-represented groups were not receiving equitable representation in the sector. As a result of this research, Pillar began several initiatives to support equity and inclusion in our own organization and the nonprofit sector. Along with the development of our own internal best
A path of learning, recognizing and honouring truth and reconciliation
It was the release of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission reports that nudged our organization to read, reflect and better understand how we could both as an organization and network learn our country’s history and advance truth and reconciliation. We had been intentional about recruiting someone to serve on our board of directors from the
Developing leadership skills in youth through volunteerism
Engaging youth in volunteerism brings countless benefits for the participants, nonprofit organizations and the community. For participants, volunteering has been known to improve mental health, help cultivate valuable relationships and provide leadership opportunities. Organizations that engage young volunteers benefit from their diverse perspectives and innovative ideas. Youth volunteerism also benefits the community at large; by
Bringing diversity to volunteerism at leadership levels
Typically a network responds to the needs and priorities of its members. In the case of Pillar’s work related to board diversity and volunteering for newcomers, visible minorities and under-represented groups, we were responding to research that showed a gap in representation in nonprofits. As London was increasingly becoming more diverse, our nonprofit sector leadership