Ten years ago, The Denver Foundation embarked upon an uncharted journey to help nonprofits connect with communities of color.  With the creation of the Expanding Nonprofit Inclusiveness Initiative (ENII) in 2001, and its evolution to the Inclusiveness Project in 2007, we quickly moved from focusing on diversity and numbers to supporting meaningful engagement through inclusiveness.

With community guidance, we conducted countless conversations about race and inclusiveness, engaged in deep evaluation of our work, developed helpful resources and tools, provided grant dollars and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, launched a successful Nonprofi t Internship Program, and received national recognition through the Council on Foundation’s prestigious Critical Impact Award. 

Thanks to those who have partnered with us in this process over the past decade, we have made a defi nite impact on the Metro Denver nonprofit community.

As part of our celebration of the past decade’s achievements, we recognize there is still much to learn and much more work to conduct. We move forward with humility and reflection. Just as our programming is evolving, so too are our language and purpose. Inclusiveness is about more than creating a welcoming environment; it is deeply tied to leadership and equity.

You shared with us in our Listening Campaign that profound racial and economic disparities persist in our communities. While we don’t have all the answers, we believe the Inclusiveness Project is one part of the solution to addressing these disparities.

We are now examining the intersections of wealth and race. By educating ourselves about what lies beneath disparities, we hope to create a platform for provocative conversation and the development of possible next steps for addressing these disparities.

We know these issues are complicated, and we invite you to explore the complexities and share your thoughts about what the Inclusiveness Project can do over the next 10 years. You can post a comment on our website, call, or email me: Adrienne Mansanares - 303.300.1790 x145 or amansanares@denverfoundation.org.