Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara (GIGSB) embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a foundational part of pursing our vision of empowered girls in an equitable society. In support of our mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, we commit to championing policies and practices that foster an inclusive, just, and equitable culture.

See how DEI is the foundation for the Girls Inc. National Strategic Plan

We commit to:

• Investing the time, energy, and human and financial resources to promote cultural equity in our organization, and expand diversity representation in staff and board leadership.
• Acknowledging and working to dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services.
• Pursuing cultural proficiency throughout the organization through substantive training, ongoing education, and inclusive dialogue informing policy and decision-making.
• Advocating within the community for policies that promote cultural equity.

We acknowledge:

• In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access to specific groups, while disenfranchising and marginalizing others.
• The girls, youth, and families we serve, along with our staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners, deserve equal access to a full, empowered, and equitable life.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is a foundational part of our mission and vision, and we affirm that advancing social justice and cultural proficiency within our organization will benefit all our stakeholders as well as the organization itself.

Our progress:

Our staff-driven DEI advisory committee was formed in 2021 with the purpose of increasing DEI proficiency for all staff, board, and volunteers. A comprehensive external equity audit is planned for our organization in the fall of 2021. Results established our cultural proficiency baseline, provided focus for training, policy & practice, and systems priorities, and enhanced our DEI action plan.

We look forward to extending our DEI work to also include the girls, teens, and families we serve. Please check back for updates on our progress.