Council on Foundations President and CEO Vikki Spruill Joins More Than 300 CEO Signatories in Commitment to Advance Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The Council on Foundations has joined a growing coalition, which pledges to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ includes more than 300 CEOs of America’s leading companies and business organizations, who have jointly agreed to a pledge to cultivate a workplace and culture where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion and where practices can be shared across organizations.

It is the latest effort for the Council, which for several years has pushed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a core policy and operating principle for the philanthropic sector.

“The Council continues to be dedicated to the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and we have worked hard to develop a workplace culture that exemplifies these values,” said Council on Foundations President and CEO Vikki Spruill. “I’m extremely proud that within the Council, we strive to ensure that diverse perspectives and experiences are recognized in every aspect of achieving our mission, from our recruitment and hiring processes to the vendors with whom we work and the speakers and presenters we invite to our events. In 2016, we also hired a Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to further efforts to translate our knowledge and opportunities into actions that benefit our sector. As committed proponents of DEI, we’re very excited to join a cohort of equally aware and dedicated organizations. I firmly believe there is great promise in combining the ideas, resources and networks from both the private and nonprofit worlds.”

This Wednesday, nearly 250 human resource and diversity and inclusion officers involved in CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ signatories will gather in New York for a summit to focus on sharing lessons learned, challenges in implementing diversity and inclusion strategies as well as engaging in a number of action-focused discussions. Floyd Mills, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Council, will represent the organization at this week’s summit.

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About the Council on Foundations

An active philanthropic network, the Council on Foundations (www.cof.org), founded in 1949, is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. It provides the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance and sustain their ability to advance the common good. With members from all foundation types and sizes, the Council empowers professionals in philanthropy to meet today’s toughest challenges and advances a culture of charitable giving in the U.S. and globally.