Society for Diversity

Society for Diversity
Name	Society for Diversity
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2001
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Michelle LeClair

Society for Diversity is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that provides training and consulting in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. It operates nationally from its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, offering assessments, workshops, and certification programs to organizations, institutions, and government agencies. The Society engages with corporations, universities, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to implement policies and practices intended to increase representation and reduce bias.

History

The organization emerged amid early 21st-century initiatives following events that reshaped debates on Affirmative action policy, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 implementation, and post-9/11 civil liberties discussions. Founders drew on frameworks from leaders associated with National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund affiliates, while responding to mandates from agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor. The Society partnered early with institutions like Ohio State University and Columbus Metropolitan Library, and engaged in dialogues with corporate entities including Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Kroger, JPMorgan Chase, Coca-Cola Company, and FedEx to pilot diversity training. Over time it interfaced with higher-education centers such as Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Cornell University for research collaborations. The Society’s trajectory intersected with social movements associated with leaders like Al Sharpton and organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign. It has adapted models influenced by work at think tanks including Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Pew Research Center, RAND Corporation, and Aspen Institute.

Mission and Activities

The Society states goals rooted in increasing inclusion across workplaces that include partners from sectors such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, and Mount Sinai Health System. Activities encompass designing interventions informed by research from National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and scholarship produced at University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Duke University, and University of Chicago. The organization conducts workshops reflecting litigation and policy trends involving entities like Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Congress, California Supreme Court, and federal statutes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It engages with corporate governance cited by firms like Microsoft, Apple Inc., Google, Amazon (company), Meta Platforms and consults on practices referenced by industry groups such as Business Roundtable and Society for Human Resource Management. The Society also liaises with philanthropic organizations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Programs and Services

Services include facilitated learning offered to clients like Disney, Nike, Target Corporation, Starbucks, General Electric, and IBM. The Society’s programs include assessments used by public agencies such as Department of Education (United States), Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, and municipal governments like City of New York and City of Chicago. It provides certification courses parallel to curricula at professional bodies such as American Bar Association, American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, and National Education Association. The Society offers customized consulting for academic institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Texas at Austin, Penn State University, Rutgers University, and University of Washington. Training modules reference standards from Joint Commission (United States), National Association of Social Workers, and accreditation practices akin to those used by Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The governance model includes a board with members drawn from sectors represented by leaders from Ford Motor Company, General Motors, AT&T, Verizon Communications, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Executive leadership has included professionals with prior roles at institutions such as Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Greater Columbus Convention Center, American Heart Association, and United Way of America. Advisory councils have featured academics from Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College as well as practitioners from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and KPMG. The Society coordinates regional chapters interfacing with statewide commissions like the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, New York State Division of Human Rights, and California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources combine earned income from contracts with corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo; grants from philanthropic entities including Annie E. Casey Foundation and Lilly Endowment; and fee-for-service agreements with healthcare systems and universities. Strategic partnerships have been formed with professional associations such as Association of American Medical Colleges, American Hospital Association, National League of Cities, and International City/County Management Association. Collaborative projects have tied the Society to networks including United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, OECD, and regional organizations like Americas Society and Asia Society. It participates in coalitions with civil-society groups such as Teach For America, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, and Meals on Wheels affiliates.

Impact and Reception

The Society’s work has been cited by media outlets and platforms covering diversity initiatives alongside coverage of debates involving Supreme Court of the United States decisions on affirmative action, high-profile corporate practices at Google, Facebook, and Nike, and public controversies involving institutions such as Princeton University, University of California, and Yale University. Evaluations of outcomes reference studies from Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, Pew Research Center, and National Bureau of Economic Research. Critics have compared its approaches with alternative models promoted by organizations like Independent Sector and Center for American Progress while supporters point to endorsements from partners including American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, and National Association of Colleges and Employers. The Society’s convenings have attracted speakers and participants linked to figures from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden policy circles as well as corporate executives from Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Marillyn Hewson networks.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Ohio