About Us
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Full Statement
We, the people of Community Forward SF, commit to cultivating an anti-oppressive creative and collaborative culture. Here, we share our guiding principles to foster workspaces that center equity, respect, justice, and accountability. As systemic transformation necessitates full community participation, commitment to these values and practices is requisite and foundational for all who work at Community Forward SF.
All people and all identities are welcomed here. All people and all identities are entitled to respect and dignity.
Our community and creative processes are nourished by the unique offerings of people of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, nationalities, citizenships, income levels, parental statuses, religions, sizes, and ways of life.
We invite all people to bring their fullest selves—their intersecting identities, their lived experiences—into the workspace, as a collective is made stronger and smarter by its diverse composition.
We acknowledge that no person can understand the fullness and complexity of another person’s lived experience; the closest we can come is by holding space for every person to express themselves without inhibition or fear of retaliation, and by respectfully listening without preoccupation or defensiveness.
An act of oppression, discrimination, harassment, or disrespect is not just a perpetration against the targeted individual but is an attack upon the integrity of our collective, as we stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable among us.
Our commitment to respect all people extends to our neighbors in the Tenderloin. We recognize that the Tenderloin is one of the Bay Area’s most maligned areas and home to some of the Bay Area’s most vulnerable people. We recognize the humanity and dignity of all our neighbors, inclusive of unhoused and housing insecure people, and we seek to build connection and unity in our local community.
We recognize that our nation and its institutions are founded upon and steeped within white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalistic inequity. We recognize that our nation’s dominant character and culture are rooted in the stolen lives, labor, and land of Black and Indigenous people and that these communities remain especially vulnerable. We recognize that there is no true justice or equity until all people are liberated. We are committed to dismantling structures and practices that perpetuate or are permissive of oppression, inequality, and discrimination of any kind.
We are committed to upholding the rights, respect, and dignity of the most vulnerable among us.
We practice anti-racism as a collective, recognizing the potential of every person to be a proactive agent of justice. We welcome the critique of all community members in how we, the organization, can more effectively hold equitable workspaces and institute equity-driven practices.
We recognize that safety is relative, and that safety and comfort are not synonymous. Creating equitable spaces requires a willingness to experience discomfort. We hold space to challenge and be challenged in the pursuit of greater equity.
We speak and act with care.
We say only what we truly mean and select our words thoughtfully to align with our intent.
We speak only for ourselves and—while we may advocate in the interest of others—we may only speak with authority to our own perspectives.
We listen to the experiences, needs, and asks of others with the priority focus on the speaker, without preoccupation about how their experiences reflect on ourselves.
We affirm the experiences of others, even when (or especially when) their experience or perspective is different from our own. We hold ourselves accountable to engage fully, without resorting to defensive response.
We respect the bodily rights of others.
A person’s body is their own instrument: a person’s body will not be speculated about, be commented upon, or receive any value assessment by any other person.
No person may lay hands on another person without verbal and enthusiastic consent.
We respect the right of any person to decline touch of any kind. We do not personalize a denial as rejection and celebrate the right of every person to uphold their own bodily boundaries.
We acknowledge that we are complex humans and not machines.
Individuality and personhood are welcome in the working environment and are necessary components in the work we do. There is no expectation that we hide or apologize for emotion and human vulnerability. There is no expectation that we hide or apologize for emotion and human vulnerability while also holding the standards of equity and professionalism.
Boundaries and access needs may be expressed at any time and will be heard and met respectfully. The reasoning behind a boundary or access may be shared at the speaker’s discretion but is never expected or required.
Every person has the right to share their experiences and every person also has the right to maintain their privacy. It is a privilege to be trusted with the experience of another and we recognize sharing as an act of generosity.
We uphold the values of transparency and accountability.
We provide support for and seek support from one another without shame.
We celebrate one another’s successes.
When harm is done, we enter relationship repair with the consent of the wronged person. Relationship repair places emphasis on modified behavior, future harm prevention, and restoration of productive and respectful connection.
We acknowledge that—despite our best intentions to uphold these values at every turn—clear reporting channels and mechanisms for misconduct management are vital to a healthy working environment.
If anyone at Community Forward SF fails to uphold the values stated above, you are encouraged to share your experience through a reporting channel.
If you see opportunities for growth at Community Forward SF or if you have critique to offer, you are also encouraged to share your experience through a reporting channel.
To share your experience, you may report to 1) Community Forward SF Director, 2) your Manager, if applicable, or 3) an HR consultant retained by Community Forward SF; you may share your experience with one, all, of any combination of these people.
Your experience may be shared directly and with identity attribution or may be submitted anonymously through Google Forms (reporting to Chief of People) or through an anonymous hotline (reporting to Community Forward SF’s Chief of People).
Community Forward SF commits to addressing reports without retaliation. Experiences shared will be met as a call to transformation and an opportunity to deepen our organization’s commitments to equity and respect. We recognize the generosity and labor of those who share their experiences.