At Botanical Belonging, a diverse, inclusive, and equitable space is one where all staff, volunteers, board members, and participants, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, education, or disability, feels valued and respected.

We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment, advancement, and participation in our programs. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for our community, including other conservation and education nonprofits, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, Botanical Belonging strives to:

  • See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff, volunteers, and the communities we serve;
  • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services;
  • Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness;
  • Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission;
  • Help to challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader at our organization, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership;
  • Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions;
  • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board and staff;
  • Commit time and resources to expand diversity of program participants; 
  • Expect all staff, board members, and volunteers to lead with respect and tolerance, and to express this notion in interactions with one another, interactions with the public, and through everyday practices;
  • Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of American society; and
  • Pool resources and expand offerings for underrepresented constituents by connecting with partner organizations committed to diversity and inclusion efforts.