In many ways, diversity is about our ability to see and be seen, to hear and be heard—apart from the homogenous mass and overwhelming din of the dominant culture, in all our many distinct flavors. For the social sector, this becomes acutely relevant each Census year. “The count” is uniquely important not just for recognizing our diversity on a statistical or intellectual level, but for translating that into much-needed services and tangible resources. Nonprofits know from experience just how much is riding on our ability to be honest in quantifying who we are in order to meet the basic needs of our communities.

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I am currently working with a client who is looking to better target the Latino market. One of their two offices is in a city with a Latino majority (above 75%).  The office staff speaks Spanish, and all their material is translated. Yet they know that to attract and keep their clients they need to go beyond translated materials and bilingual staff, and really understand who their clients are.  I applaud them– it’s unfortunate that more nonprofits don’t think this way.

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