diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
Our Strategic Plan affirmed our core principles and values and highlighted the importance of Diversity and Belonging, which have long been a part of our philosophy as people from all walks of life have come together and found a home at Trail Blazers in our 134 years.
In June 2020, we made a commitment to be actively anti-racist and to do our part in creating a truly just world. This includes making Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) the primary lens through which we examine all our work, from program design to organization operations.
Vision and Mission
We create diverse, equitable and inclusive spaces with unencumbered access, where all youth, families and team members are valued, included and empowered.
This is central to Trail Blazers’ commitment to delivering accessible outdoor education and programming to young people and to the communities in which we work and serve. We act with intent to challenge and dismantle the global historic systems of oppression impacting all of society, our workforce and the entire Trail Blazers’ community.
By understanding the structures of power and privilege, we work passionately and emphatically to address all forms of discrimination – age, income, ability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion and sexual orientation – across every aspect of our business and among everyone we touch and serve.
Committee Members
How are we Doing?
In 2020, Trail Blazers made a commitment to being an actively anti-racist organization and we have spent the past year laying the groundwork needed to support this work and move us forward.
We started by lifting up DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), which was one of the four Strategic Lenses identified in our Jan 2020 Strategic Plan (link), as our primary lens and then adding “B” for Belonging. To guide our work and to hold us accountable to our goals, we convened a DEIB committee that comprises board members, staff, an alumna, a community partner, and supported by expert consultants.
We established a path to guide us along this work.
To institutionalize DEIB as a core and essential part of Trail Blazers, we integrated DEIB into our Mission and Vision statements, ensuring that it will guide how we govern, lead, communicate, operate, and interact. Furthermore, as our Primary Strategic Lens, DEIB will serve as our primary guide as we continue to operationalize our Strategic Plan and monitor its effectiveness through 2025.
We are currently at Step 9 on this path. The above tabs describe some of the work in each one of the steps and where we are going.
Next, the DEIB Committee is assessing every aspect of TBC’s business and infrastructure – People, Partnerships, Communications, Fundraising, Operations, Financials, Programming, and Culture – with the goal to build a roadmap to reach cultural proficiency and exemplary status. We chose the Meyer DEI Spectrum Tool for assessing our current state.
The tools functions as our guide for assessing TBC’s progress on the path from “Not Yet Started” to “Launched” to “Well Underway” to “Exemplary” for each of the following 12 components: DEI Vision, Diversity, Commitment, Data, Leadership, Community, Policies, Decisions, Infrastructure, Accountability, Training, and Inclusion.
The findings, based on the committee’s assessment, are that Trail Blazers has a status of either Launched or Well Underway for a majority of the components assessed. The exceptions were Accountability, defined as the inclusion of DEIB-related metrics across all mechanisms, and Training, defined as fostering ongoing training, growth and leadership among management, staff and board.
Our next steps are to develop specific and measurable goals to move Trail Blazers to “Exemplary” across all 12 components, with priority given to Accountability, Training and Inclusion.
This includes engaging our stakeholders and forming formal structures – such as internal committees and affinity groups – to continuously inform the work, and ensure we create a sustainable model.
Additionally, we have established 4 internal areas of consideration, to deepen and focus our conversations.
The Committee has set the following priorities for this fiscal year:
Training: Identify and roll out DEIB training for every tier of the organization
Accountability: Develop DEIB-specific metrics to be applied to the following: projects, programs, management, staff, board
Inclusion: Establish mechanisms for including and integrating all voices of the Trailblazers community
Communication: Continue to build the DEIB communication page on Trail Blazers website
Journey to Exemplary: Establish goals for the other nine components of the spectrum to move TBC to exemplary
Using the work of the DEIB committee and the Strategic Plan, the following priorities were set for the current year:
PRIORITY 1: DEIB (Helen) | |
Implementing a structured approach to assessing, integrating and measuring DEIB across the organization, to ensure that all parts of the organization are truly diverse, equitable, inclusive and make people feel they belong, in an apparent and genuine way. |
Success: | SHORT TERM:
LONG TERM:
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PRIORITY 2: STAFF (Josh) | |
Developing and implementing a comprehensive approach to leadership and pipeline development | |
Success | SHORT TERM: Initiating a board set of training initiatives and a move to prioritize full time positions where possible. LONG TERM: Multiple mechanisms for attracting, retaining and developing talent to support all programs. DEIB METRIC: Training – Trail Blazers Academy – a comprehensive training structure aimed to support and develop our group leaders |
PRIORITY 3: RESOURCE MODEL/DEVELOPMENT (Tiffany) | |
Developing a broad approach to resource development and financial management to build up our ability to take larger chances, make bigger investments | |
Succes: | SHORT TERM: Increase in unrestricted revenue LONG TERM: A versatile income stream that alleviates/reduces the need for the program arms to generate revenue. DEI METRIC: Inclusion – access to fundraising events and a variety of opportunities for participation and engagement |
PRIORITY 4: CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT (Molly) | |
Actively manage and develop the core team and the program teams to embrace and celebrate the Trail Blazers spirit and culture | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: A senior team that is stable and structured to facilitate growth LONG TERM: An expansive operational structure designed for excellence across all departments DEIB METRIC: (inclusion) Comprehensive Staff Engagement and Feedback initiatives within and across departments |
PRIORITY 5: PROGRAM QUALITY DESIGN (Eboni) | |
Finalize and implement a Program Quality Cycle that highlights similarities and differences from program to program, and implement unifying standards across programs | |
Successes | SHORT TERM: Enhanced and scaffolded training and development on program execution that is standardized across programs LONG TERM: Superb training, execution and evaluation on the program delivery model DEIB METRIC: (training) Enhanced, voluntary and mandatory, scaffolded training on program execution |
PRIORITY 6: BOARD MANAGEMENT (Helen) | |
Guide and support the board in developing a culture of shared leadership, accountability and belonging. | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: Board expansion, diversification and leadership transitions LONG TERM: a joyful, versatile and diverse board that exceed fiduciary and governance responsibilities DEIB METRIC: (training) – Board DEI training |
PRIORITY 7: SYSTEMS AND DATA (Molly) | |
Further finetune systems and operational practices to allow for data-driven decision making | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: Focused financial management and budget tracking LONG TERM: DEIB METRIC: (Inclusion) Inclusive Budgeting – activities that engage staff across levels of the organization in budgeting considerations |
PRIORITY 8: ADVOCACY/INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP (Josh) | |
An intentional approach to public exposure, advocacy, leadership positioning and awareness | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: Increased and intentional participation in advocacy and PR initiatives. LONG TERM: Positioned as a thought leader in youth development and nonprofit management DEIB METRIC: (Inclusion) DEI centered advocacy |
PRIORITY 9: COMMUNICATION AND PR (Tiffany) | |
Develop and implement a communication strategy that is accurate, compelling and aligns with industry priorities | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: Improved collateral and communications efforts LONG TERM: A communication strategy that creates lasting connections to our network of families, friends and supporters DEIB METRIC: Accountability: complete a comprehensive marketing audit through a DEIB lens |
PRIORITY 10: FACILITIES (pending) | |
Maintaining and enhancing our NJ facility to provide a top notch camp experience. | |
Success: | SHORT TERM: an assessment of site needs LONG TERM: a high quality property that enhances the participant experience DEIB METRIC: Comprehensive facilities audit through a DEIB lens. |
The work to deeply integrate DEIB into our organization takes time, practice and consistent attention. Here are some of the things were are working on:
Language and Traditions
Over the last 2 years we have begun to evaluate the use of language, both organization wide and at our overnight camp. Like many summer camps, use of Native American language was very common. Some terminology used in camp has been changed already, including for example the use of the word pow wow – time spent around the fire is not called the Sunset Circle.
The DEIB committee is asking your input in developing a comprehensive list of language and tradition items subject to a DEIB consideration. We are thinking about any names, conventions, songs, traditions and habit etc., we can think of that perhaps ought to be reconsidered.
The purpose of this list is NOT to discuss changes, but merely to collect items that you feel either should/could be subject to change, or perhaps items you feel should not be subject to change.
This document is also NOT a discussion forum, so we ask you not to comment on items, but merely to list yours.
You can access the document right HERE.
DEIB Performance Indicators
Guided by the 2025 Strategic Plan, Trail Blazers maps out priorities on an annual basis, with the goal of being a ‘Best in Class’ organization. The DEIB has added DEIB specific short and long term goals to these priorities.
Here is the work document that has established these DEIB performance indicators.
There is still plenty of work to be done as we move to “Exemplary”. TBC’s Leadership is more conscious and affirmative now, more than ever before, about ensuring TBC actively and effectively creates a diverse, equitable, inclusive space where people feel they belong and believe they can thrive.
This year is a year of action, integrating practices into our organization and building DEIB muscle memory, so we work towards the day when DEIB integration is not needed as as a separate goal because it is a deeply integrated reality at Trail Blazers.
The DEIB committee’s role will be to monitor progress and help develop the specific measures needed to hold ourselves accountable, including periodic assessment with the tools described here. We are in the process of rebuilding out IMPACT page, to include our Key Metrics for the year.
For 2022, we measure our success by assessing progress in the following areas:
– Level of tuition assistance
– staff engagement
– SEL growth of our participants
– program satisfaction
– staff retention
– camper retention
“Building Values for Life” is the Trail Blazers tagline – it reflects how we view ourselves as an organization and our place in this world. We believe it is our job to actively engage in building essential values and create positive impact. Motivated by this mission, we remain committed to moving forward and will continue to share updates as we progress. We invite YOU, our community, to join us in this on-going work. Keep on the lookout for opportunities to participate in listening sessions and committees to keep us centered on what matters most – our community.