IDEA Progress Report 2024

Building on the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) work of previous years, this year, Arts of Life looked inward at how we can continue to support our team’s diversity and bring more people into this critical work. As committed as we have been to IDEA, we were still falling short of permeating the whole organization and shaping the culture. With this goal in mind, we engaged Ethos Talent, whose work centers on creating the conditions for everyone to thrive at work. Through this incredible partnership, we were able to center our IDEA work on belonging: your sense that you are part of something greater than yourself that you value and need and that values and needs you back.

Arts of Life and Ethos worked together throughout all of 2023, beginning with a “Breaking Down Belonging” workshop where we were challenged to better understand both to what level we feel like we belong at Arts of Life and how we contribute to others’ feeling that they belong. This provided us the time to reflect on where we are individually and as an organization and what steps we can take to improve our sense of belonging at Arts of Life. Using these resources and framework, we had a path to continue these conversations and focus our IDEA work within our team.

After implementing this framework for several months and as an important part of our Strategic Planning process, we invited Ethos back to facilitate Arts of Life’s first Equity Action Plan. This plan will inform our IDEA goals and support our continued effort toward our “Employer of Choice” Strategic Plan Pillar. 

Partnering with Ethos was invaluable to our whole team, as evidenced by the 100% positive feedback on our follow-up surveys. Having the Ethos team’s expertise will be a priority as we continue with staff training and Strategic Plan development. To further prioritize IDEA and belonging in our Strategic Plan, we have engaged Dr. Issac Carter and Coaching Imperative to facilitate the year-long planning process.

Arts of Life also continued to work with Upgrade Accessibility’s Mary Fashik on professional development opportunities that focused on self-advocacy and decision-making. This has been a key partnership that we will leverage for years to come. I continued to join Restart Consulting’s monthly IDEA deep dive, supporting Executive Directors in leading these initiatives within their organizations. We continue to update our website, policies, and procedures with best practices as recommended by Ethos and other leaders in the IDEA space. 

I’m proud of the work we’ve continued to do and feel we are moving in a direction that aligns with our values and Collective Decision Making model. I’m looking forward to these continued partnerships and being challenged to further improve in these important areas. 

With gratitude,

Denise Fisher
Executive Director, Arts of Life