AHP Connect Articles

AHP Announces Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Dear AHP Community,

As you know, AHP is driven by our mission to “inspire, educate, and serve those transforming healthcare through philanthropy.” Those transforming healthcare come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

However, many of you have brought the need for more diverse and inclusive programs and processes to the attention of our Board of Directors and our volunteer leadership. Over the past several months, we have spoken with many of you, gathering your thoughts and guidance, and have involved the AHP staff in examining ways in which our collective diverse backgrounds could be better represented in our organization.

We understand that there is much more we should do to be inclusive and to help those already within our membership feel seen and heard. As an organization, we want to formally announce our commitment to grow diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in all aspects of our work as well as in the healthcare philanthropy profession. This commitment and the work it will take to support it starts now.

We have published the statement below on our website that states clearly what we believe:

The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) values and respects diversity. We view individual differences as assets that promote the growth and success of AHP’s goals, its members, and the healthcare philanthropy profession. We’re committed to more deliberately encouraging, supporting, and recognizing diverse individual viewpoints and contributions in AHP’s work and creating a culture of belonging for everyone who is a part of AHP. 

We believe a diverse, equitable, and inclusive membership is a vibrant membership able to best deliver on better healthcare for all through philanthropy.  We believe diversity is multi-dimensional, encompassing not just race and ethnicity but gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, experience, age, ability, class, and more. Embracing individual differences and fostering equity by eliminating barriers that prevent the full participation of all are critical to our mission of inspiring, educating, and serving our members as they work to transform healthcare through philanthropy. 

We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members feel that they belong and see themselves as positive change agents for the future of our organization.  All philanthropy professionals who wish to work in healthcare, and all individuals already committed to healthcare philanthropy are welcomed into our organization and are encouraged to bring their full selves.  This commitment includes, but is not limited to: professionals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, talents, and perspectives.

What is AHP committed to achieving?

Publishing this statement is just the beginning.  In the next year we’re committed to the following priorities and work:

Leadership and Participation

• Assess all AHP’s current processes to ensure equity, transparency, and inclusion by employing help from outside experts and our membership to identify areas for change
• Increase diversity in our committees, speakers, faculty, awardees, Board, and staff

Membership

• Increase diversity within the AHP membership by partnering with other organizations to learn and grow
• Actively engage with non-members from diverse backgrounds and encourage participation in AHP’s work

Educational Programming

• Convene leaders in philanthropy across North America to identify ways to educate healthcare philanthropy teams on how to engage, recruit, and develop diverse staff, volunteers and donors in support of healthcare philanthropy

• Create tools to help healthcare philanthropy teams ensure that they are engaging, developing, and retaining employees of all backgrounds with professional resources, training, mentorship, and active engagement with AHP

AHP is committed to fostering equity and inclusion in our profession, serving our diverse donors and volunteers, and ensuring we deliver the support our members need to recruit, retain, and engage a diverse workforce. We recognize that this is the first step on a longer journey. We need your help in getting us there, and holding us accountable.

Please reach out to membership@ahp.org with your thoughts and suggestions. We hope you will be interested in taking an active part in our DEIB work.

In gratitude for all you do for AHP,

Alice Ayres
President & CEO
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

Board Members

Randy Varju, Chair
Fred Najjar, Vice-Chair
Pamela Puleo, Treasurer
Jory Pritchard-Kerr, Past Chair
Flynn Andrizzi
Julie Cox
Jeanne Jachim
Sharon Jones
Bridget Murphy
Art Ochoa

Staff Volunteers

Kim Alfaro
Norman Flores
Olivia Hairfield
Jasmine Jones
Maddy Morris
Ifdy Perez