<div><strong>Support and Build the Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity &amp; Inclusion to fight for fairness, inclusion, equal opportunity and human dignity for all—nationwide. </strong>
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<div>We are living through an orchestrated assault on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging. Across the country, programs are being dismantled, leaders are being isolated or pushed out, and communities are being told that equity and inclusion no longer matter. As a result, you and your fellow citizens are losing rights, services and benefits.
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<div>Political narratives are painting this work as divisive or unnecessary. Organizations that once voiced support are retreating under legal, political, and reputational pressure. Civil rights organizations are being targeted and intimidated. And many of the people doing this work—especially those most directly affected—are carrying the emotional, professional, and financial burden of this moment.
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<div>We refuse to accept this retreat as inevitable or permanent.
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<div>We believe this moment demands a strategic, coordinated response: the creation of a nationwide <strong>Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity &amp; Inclusion</strong>—a place where people can come together to connect, learn, share resources and expertise, support one another, and organize for a more just and inclusive future.
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<div>Today, that place must be online.
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<div>This campaign will help us build the infrastructure required: an online community platform and app where people across the country can convene, collaborate, and take action together. This is infrastructure. This is alignment. This is power—built intentionally.
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<div><strong>Who We Are</strong>
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<div>The Coalition has formed under the umbrella of <strong>The Institute for Sustainable Diversity &amp; Inclusion (ISDI)</strong>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainable diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging—in workplaces, in communities and in society.
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<div>The Coalition exists because this moment requires more than isolated efforts. It requires community, strategy, mutual support, and coordinated action.
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<div>We are bringing together people who care deeply about equity and inclusion, including:
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<li><strong>DEIAB practitioners and leaders</strong> working inside organizations, schools, nonprofits, and communities
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<li><strong>People directly affected by the rollback</strong> of equity and inclusion efforts, including members of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disability, veteran, student, worker, elder, and other impacted communities
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<li><strong>Allies and advocates </strong>who want to support a more just and inclusive future
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<li><strong>Partners, educators, consultants, and changemakers</strong> who know this work matters and do not want to watch it disappear
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<div>Our goal is to create a sustainable, action-oriented community where members can connect, collaborate, learn, and respond together in a rapidly changing environment. We believe people accomplish more together than they ever can alone.
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<div><strong>Why We’re Fundraising Now</strong>
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<div>We are at a critical point in the Coalition’s development.
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<div>To move from vision to a functioning national community, we need the infrastructure to bring people together effectively, consistently, and safely. That means building a real home for the Coalition—one that supports connection, strategy-sharing, education, resource exchange, and collective action.
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<div>To do that, we are launching the Coalition on the <strong>Circle platform</strong>, which will serve as our digital community hub and organizing center. Circle provides a dedicated space where members can gather, communicate, support one another, and coordinate around the challenges ahead.
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<div>The cost of launching and implementing this platform—including setup, implementation, and the first year of use—is approximately <strong>$20,000</strong>. This fundraiser will help us cover those launch costs and build the foundation the Coalition needs to grow.
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<div><strong>What Your Donation Will Support</strong>
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<div>Your gift will directly support the Coalition’s launch and early growth, including:
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<div><strong>1) Our national digital community platform and app</strong>
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<div>We are implementing Circle as the Coalition’s central online home—a place where members can gather, collaborate, learn, and organize.
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<div><strong>2) Platform implementation and onboarding</strong>
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<div>We want to launch the Coalition well, not haphazardly. Funds will support setup, implementation, structure design, onboarding, and early member experience.
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<div><strong>3) Programming and member engagement</strong>
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<div>We are building a space that offers real value: conversations, workshops, peer support, networking, strategy-sharing, resource libraries and tools, leadership development, collaboration, and community learning for DEIAB practitioners and allies.
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<div><strong>4) Coalition communications and outreach</strong>
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<div>We need to reach the people who most need this community—especially those working in isolation, under pressure, or without institutional support.
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<div><strong>5) A stronger, more sustainable DEIAB ecosystem</strong>
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<div>This is not just about one platform. It is about building the connective tissue that helps people in this work stay informed, supported, equipped, and in relationship with one another so they can continue making a positive difference in their organizations and communities.
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<div><strong>Why This Matters</strong>
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<div>DEIAB work is often talked about in abstract terms. But the stakes are deeply human.
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<div>When inclusion efforts are rolled back, real people feel the impact:
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<li>employees lose advocates and pathways to belonging
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<li>students lose support and access
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<li>communities lose momentum toward fairness and opportunity
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<li>leaders doing courageous work are left more vulnerable and alone
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<li>people who have historically been excluded receive the message—again—that their full participation is negotiable
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<div>This Coalition exists because we believe another response is possible. We are talking about you and your loved one’s lives, futures, and dignity.
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<div>We believe:
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<li>equity work should not depend on whether it is politically convenient
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<li>inclusion should not disappear when it becomes controversial
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<li>people doing this work should not have to stand alone
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<li>those most affected by exclusion deserve sustained, organized support
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<li>a more just and inclusive future is still worth building—for everyone’s benefit
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<div><strong>If You Work in DEIAB, or You’re an Ally of DEIAB, or You're Part of an Affected Community - This Coalition Is for You!</strong>
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<div><strong>If you're a DEIAB practitioner, leader, consultant, educator, advocate, or organizational change agent</strong>, you already know how hard this moment is.
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<div>You may be carrying isolation, burnout, uncertainty, pressure to stay silent, shrinking budgets, disappearing institutional support, or fear about what comes next for your work or your career.
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<div>The Coalition is being built with you in mind.
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<div>We want to create a community where you can find:
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<li>connection with people who understand the reality of this moment
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<li>practical resources and strategic support
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<li>a place to share what is working, what is not, and what we need to do next
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<li>opportunities to collaborate rather than navigate this climate alone
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<div><strong><em>If you’re an ally or you're part of an affected community</em></strong>, you also understand why this matters.
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<div>Supporting this fundraiser is a way to say:
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<li>people working to create more inclusive institutions should not be abandoned
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<li>communities under attack deserve support
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<li>equity and inclusion are not fringe values—they are essential to a healthy society
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<li>this work matters enough to invest in
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<div>The progress we have made in recent decades matters and must be protected and continued. This is a matter of human rights, civil rights, and dignity for all. We have the commitment, expertise, and shared responsibility to keep moving equity forward—we just need a platform where we can convene and continue this vital work together.
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<div><strong>Our Fundraising Goal</strong>
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<div>We are seeking to raise $20,000 to support the Coalition’s Circle platform implementation and first-year launch costs.
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<div><strong>How You Can Help</strong>
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<div><strong>1) Make a donation</strong>
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<div>Every gift helps—whether it’s $25, $100, $500, or more.
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<li>$25 helps us expand outreach and bring more people into the Coalition
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<li>$50 helps support community programming and member engagement
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<li>$100 helps fund Coalition platform tools and implementation costs
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<li>$250 helps support workshops, peer learning, and strategy-sharing spaces
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<li>$500+ helps build the infrastructure needed for a sustainable national Coalition
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<div><strong>2) Share this campaign</strong>
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<div>Please share with DEIAB professionals and practitioners, colleagues and organizational leaders, community advocates and nonprofit leaders, affected community members, friends, family, and anyone who believes this work matters.
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<div><strong>3) Help us build momentum</strong>
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<div>Early gifts and shares make a big difference. They help build visibility, credibility, and momentum for the Coalition’s launch.
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<div>We see the Coalition as the strategy for what comes next. Be bold—build it with us.
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<div><strong>A Note of Gratitude</strong>
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<div>We know there are many worthy causes competing for attention and support right now. If you choose to support this campaign, thank you.
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<div>Your gift is not simply helping fund a platform. It is helping build a community of resistance, resilience, strategy, and hope at a time when all four are urgently needed.
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<div>With your help, we can create a stronger home for DEIAB practitioners, allies, and advocates—and a stronger response to the forces trying to roll our society back to the 1950s.
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<div><strong>Thank you for believing in this work, and in the people doing it.</strong>
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<div>With gratitude,
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<div>Kirk Adams, PhD | Executive Director
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<div>Barbara Deane | Co-Director
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<div>Effenus Henderson | Co-Director
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<div>Joseph Marth, PhD | Board President
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<div>Amelia Ransom | Board Member
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<div>Eddie Pate, PhD | Board Member
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<div>Constance Durham-Engelstad | Board Member
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<div>Jacob Davidson | Board Advisor
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Constance Durham-Engelstad

Anonymous

Brooke V Foss

Kathleen Lang

Barbara Deane

Mark Matson

Regina Brink

Joseph Gentilini

David Burgdorf

Bria Marth

KATHLEEN WEST-EVANS

Michael Osthoff

Troy Otillio

Abby Melillo

Joseph Melillo

Jamal Mazrui

Mike Calvo

Jennifer Van Vleet

Support Our Fight for Inclusion & Human Dignity for All

Support Our Fight for Inclusion & Human Dignity for All

Still $11,242 to go. Help us build momentum.