Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Last month, I shared some reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of civil rights activism and the importance of vulnerability, risk, and bravery as we work towards putting his legacy into action in our community and within Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.

With that goal in mind, I wanted to share some of the actions we, as an organization, have been taking – and continue to take – as we strive to do our part to build a more just and equitable society.

• Enlist a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consulting partner to provide organizational assessment and guidance, who will also help ensure alignment with our Board of Directors DEI task force and action plan.
• Engage staff with cross-organization DEI discussion groups and learning sessions.
• Invite guest families to participate in small group discussions to help us identify ways our programs can be more equitable and inclusive.
• Assess the diversity of our current volunteer corps – and how it aligns with the communities we serve – as we seek ways to broaden our outreach and engagement methods.
• Commit to including representation from Black, Indigenous, or People of Color-owned businesses in the RFP process when seeking out new consultants or partners.
• More broadly reflect the diversity of our guest families, volunteers, supporters, and staff in storytelling across our marketing channels.

These are just a few of the first steps in our ongoing work to address issues of racial injustice in our society. We know there is always more work to do, and we remain committed as a staff and Board of Directors to be part of the solution towards creating a stronger culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team, our volunteers, and for the families we serve.

– Holly Buckendahl, Chief Executive Officer