Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Policy

The Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation team (MBCDC), staff, and Board of Directors are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our culture and identity are an integral part of our contribution wherever we are. We appreciate the visible and invisible qualities that make people who they uniquely are.  We are committed to making all people feel included and respected through engagement.

Creating an environment of equity is not just the right thing, it is a smart thing to do.  We encourage our team members to grow their network and to seek value in diversity. We trust that the most innovative initiatives flourish when mixed experiences unite.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, and talent that our employees, board member, and volunteers represent is a significant part of not only our culture but our reputation and company’s achievement as well.

We embrace our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation’s diversity initiatives include our practices and policies on recruitment, compensation, and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; and the ongoing development of a work environment built on diversity equity that encourages and enforces:

• Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees and volunteers.
• Teamwork and employee participation, permitting the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
• Work/life balance through flexible work schedules to accommodate employees’ varying needs.

All employees and volunteers of Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect always. All employees and volunteers are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work, at work functions on or off the worksite, and at all other company-sponsored and participative events. Employees and regular volunteers are also required to attend and complete annual diversity awareness training to enhance their knowledge to fulfill this responsibility.

We promote diversity in our vendor relationships, employment, the community outreach. Our Procurement Policy aligns with the above-mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments; it requires that all necessary affirmative steps will be taken and documented to solicit the participation of locally owned, certified minority (MBE), women (WBE), veteran (VBE), and disability-owned (DOBE) businesses, including small businesses that participate in MBCDC sponsored programming. MBCDC will solicit proposals from these small and micro-businesses that provide the goods or services that are being sought.  All vendors are required to have proof of liability insurance in advance of the bid process.

Any employee or volunteers found to have exhibited any inappropriate conduct or behavior against others may be subject to additional diversity, equity and/or inclusion training, and possible disciplinary action, including termination.

Employees or volunteers who believe they have been subjected to any kind of discrimination that conflicts with the company’s diversity policy and initiatives should seek assistance from a supervisor, executive director, or board of directors’ president.