Reframing DEI to Center Belonging, Inclusion and Measurable Progress

Mission-driven organizations all ask the same essential question in today’s climate: How do we keep our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work meaningful, especially when political pressure or economic uncertainty makes it feel optional?

To answer that, I need to reframe the way we talk about DEI. What we measure tells the story of what we value. And too often, DEI is reduced to a checklist of lagging indicators: the percentage of staff from underrepresented backgrounds or the number of business resource group meetings held in a quarter. While these outcomes are important, they can miss the daily behaviors and culture shifts that foster long-term impact.

The good news? There’s a better way.

Why Leading Indicators Matter

Lagging indicators tell us where we’ve been. Leading indicators tell us where we’re going. It’s vital to identify what behaviors, systems and touch points influence belonging and inclusion over time. These may not show up immediately in a dashboard, but they shape employee experience in meaningful ways.

Examples of leading indicators include: 

• How often managers give equitable and actionable feedback.
• The frequency of one-on-one conversations across power and difference.
• The presence of shared language around values and inclusion.
• How onboarding integrates identity safety and psychological trust.

When these elements are tracked and reinforced, they drive retention, performance and innovation. That’s how DEI becomes embedded in business strategy.

Reframing the Language

Words matter. Many nonprofits are moving away from the acronym DEI — not because they no longer care, but because they want language that feels more authentic and inclusive. We’ve seen a shift toward titles like "people and culture," "justice and belonging," or "purpose and impact." While the language may change, the work remains the same: creating cultures where people feel safe, seen and valued.

This reframing is especially important for engaging employees who may feel disconnected from DEI as a concept. When you lead with belonging and tie it to real behaviors and decisions — like how promotions are made or how feedback is given — you move from theoretical values to tangible impact.

Connecting DEI to Business Performance

In my work, I emphasize that DEI is not separate from performance. It's a driver of it. When employees feel a sense of belonging, they are more likely to collaborate across teams, propose new ideas and stay longer in their roles. That reduces costs, improves morale and fuels your mission.

For example, an organization’s DEI efforts can become siloed and inconsistent after a big change, like a merger. By defining team behaviors that promote inclusion — and pairing those behaviors with simple accountability tools — that same organization can achieve greater alignment across departments. Your nonprofit may not need a brand-new initiative. It may only need to embed equity into what you’re already doing.

Three Questions to Guide Your Reframe

1. What does success look like for your people, not just your program?
2. What behaviors signal inclusion in your culture right now?
3. What needs to shift in language, systems or leadership to make this work sustainable?

I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Create strategies that fit your organization’s context. Whether that’s helping a board define equity in housing, training managers on supervising across differences or facilitating a staff retreat to build clarity and care, know the power of intentional design.

DEI is not about perfection. It’s about building the muscle of belonging through consistent, measurable action. And that’s work worth doing.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.