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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

We Will 'Walk the Talk'

Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” –Booker T. Washington

Know Better. Do Better.

Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

When you know better, you do better. –Maya Angelou

The renewed vision statement of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits adopted by our board of directors in June 2022 is: We envision a North Carolina where nonprofits are intentional in their commitment to build holistic, healthy, and equitable organizations while centering racial equity to strengthen communities.

Mental Shift: Employee Well-being to Family Well-being

Children, and therefore their caregivers, have been overwhelmed by stress and anxiety driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact since the pandemic, emergency department visits for attempted suicide have risen 51% among adolescent girls, and studies show that students are 5 months behind in math and 4 months behind in reading when compared to students prior to the pandemic.

A Vision for Our Future

Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

If your vision is for a year plant wheat, if your vision is for a decade plant trees, if your vision is for a lifetime plant people. –African Proverb

Creating a vision statement guides us into the future. It helps us reflect on where we have been as we consider the path forward. The Center has been on a multi-year journey to strengthen our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we’re sharing our journey as we travel this road.

EDI Is Its Own Story

Jeanne Tedrow, President & CEO, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

To intentionally build an inclusive organization, there needs to be a culture of belonging, where differences are recognized and celebrated. “Belonging” was the theme of our 2021 Conference, where Jaki Shelton Green, NC Poet Laureate and our opening keynote, spoke about the power of our stories. She referenced the American author, Joan Didion, who once said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”