Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

Network for Hope is an organization committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). As an organization, we will:

Strive for an environment that values differences;
Take pride and lead the way for a larger push for diversity and inclusion; and
Create a culture where all feel welcomed, respected, and valued.

What is DEI&B?

Diversity encompasses the varied experiences, backgrounds, cultures, abilities, religions, races, sexual orientations, neurodiversities, and more that we all come from to uniquely put the LifeCenter mission at the forefront.
Equity attempts to identify and remove barriers that prevent some groups from fully participating in society or certain jobs and industries.
Inclusion builds a culture where everyone feels welcome. It actively invites every person and group to contribute and participate.
Belonging is a person’s perception of acceptance and feeling heard and seen within a given group.

Our DEI&B Efforts

Our DEIB efforts include internal training with staff, and external outreach to the nearly 7 million people we serve in our Donation Service Area. Network for Hope’s DEIB outreach includes, but is not limited to:

Communities of color, including African Americans and Hispanics, who are historically distrustful of the medical establishment, including organ donation and transplantation.
Faith communities, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Mormon, Buddhist, and many more.
The LGBTQIA+ community.
Older adults.

Barry Massa, our CEO, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Equity Pledge in 2022 as part of Network for Hope’s legacy organization, LifeCenter Organ Donor Network. The role of Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager was created shortly thereafter, with Audrey Holtzman promoted to the position. Audrey created a Strategic Plan for 2023-2025 focused on four pillars:

Internal Alignment: Create a shared understanding throughout LifeCenter that DEI is a critical priority and has a deep and significant impact on the donor family experience, donation outcomes and organizational success.
Operations: Create an executable operational plan to measurably advance DEI at LifeCenter.
Talent Acquisition: Diversify LifeCenter’s talent pipeline so the organization more accurately represents the communities it serves.
Thought Leadership: LifeCenter will be seen as the leader in knowledge related to organ, eye and tissue donation.