Three Things Every Nonprofit Should Know About Discrimination Within Their Organization
The social unrest of the last few months has touched nearly every sector of American life. What began as a discussion about police brutality has morphed into a national conversation about racism and discrimination in numerous arenas, including discussions about pay inequities, and specific allegations of discrimination and racism within small and large companies and nonprofits. Numerous CEOs from high-profile organizations have been forced to step down within the past few weeks. Nonprofit organizations are especially vulnerable to the results of a public airing of dirty laundry. Corporations and larger companies often have the financial resources to vigorously respond to public allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation within their organization. Nonprofits, however, generally operate on a budget in which every dollar is earmarked for use in advance of the upcoming fiscal year. The money spent having to address misconduct allegations can be potentially catastrophic to a nonprofit. Hiring a crisis public relations representative and attorneys to defend the nonprofit against a costly lawsuit can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Below is a list of 3 things every nonprofit organization should know about employee relations issues in order to protect their employees, their reputation, and their bottom line.
Number One: Angry donors closing their purses to withhold donations can be potentially catastrophic for a nonprofit.
For many nonprofits, the majority of the operating budget comes from donations. The work of engaging and retaining donors can be relentless, and nonprofits often have whole departments dedicated to this work. When allegations of misconduct within a nonprofit go public, donor’s purses can shut, causing tremendous financial harm to the organization. Many donors, even those whom truly support the cause of a nonprofit, do not feel comfortable giving money to an organization that operates a toxic workplace. Getting ahead of misconduct issues before they occur, and certainly quickly addressing them when they do occur, is essential for the health and livelihood of nonprofits.
Number Two: An examination of trouble areas within a nonprofit is hugely helpful for getting ahead of trending issues before they explode in the public.
Recent outcry about sexual harassment issues via the #MeToo movement, combined with demands for more equitable workplaces overall for all people, especially people of color, have made it clear that general, one-size-fits-all behavior policies within an organization are not sufficient. The workplace policies within a nonprofit must speak specifically to the trending issues within that specific organization. A nonprofit should engage in an analysis of looking at their last 1-2 years of misconduct allegations—what is trending? Sexual harassment allegations? Accusations of discrimination based on race? Once this examination is conducted, a nonprofit is able to laser-focus on taking steps to address those specific problem areas.
Number Three: If a nonprofit does not have the internal bandwidth to address problematic misconduct areas within their group, hiring outside help is an absolute must.
Many nonprofits operate on a model that puts the majority of donor dollars towards the nonprofit’s objectives, and not on large staffs. A lean employee model often means that there is no one within the nonprofit with the time, experience, or work experience to timely and thoroughly address allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, or other serious matters. And these employee issues, when left unaddressed, can fester, cause high employee turnover, and expose nonprofits to tremendous liability via costly lawsuits and embarrassing press. If a nonprofit carefully examines the trending employee issues within their group and recognizes that their response to such issues has been lacking, hiring a sexual harassment consultant or other such professional is a necessity. High-profile organizations like Open Foundation actually require that nonprofits hire outside counsel when there are allegations of misconduct involving leadership within a nonprofit. The workplace investigation process required under today’s unforgiving standards regarding workplace misconduct requires a prompt, detailed, and thorough response to misconduct allegations, and nonprofits who do not have the capacity to respond in such a way must hire external assistance.
The Triangle Takeaway: There has been tremendous fallout over the last few years for organizations accused of allowing and creating workplaces that are toxic for women, people of color, and other historically marginalized persons. Nonprofits cannot afford, from a financial or reputation standpoint, such damage. Triangle Investigations offers an affordable, external solution for nonprofits to pinpoint problem areas within their organization, and to rapidly respond to allegations of misconduct when they are made. Triangle’s comprehensive approach to handling employee issues and workplace investigations helps to protect nonprofits so that they can continue to conduct the good and vital work that they do.
