Purpose
The purpose of this Justice and Inclusion Policy is to guide EcoAction Arlington into becoming an actively anti-racist, proactively inclusive organization in support of its overarching mission and vision.
For this purpose, EcoAction Arlington will:
(1) promote environmental justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, and (2) strive for our programs and actions (internal and external) to be representative of the Arlington community.
Actions
EcoAction Arlington shall abide by the following actions to implement the purpose of its Justice and Inclusion Policy.
Programs/Campaigns/Events
EcoAction Arlington undertakes programs, campaigns, events and other efforts to fulfill its mission to educate, advocate, and act to create a sustainable community by improving our natural environment, encouraging environmentally-friendly behaviors, ensuring environmental
justice, and addressing the climate crisis.
For each program, campaign, and/or event, designated representatives of the EcoAction Arlington Board (“Board”), Executive Director, staff, and committee chairs
● will develop and document action items and associated metrics that advance the purpose of the Justice and Inclusion Policy as it pertains to the operations, programs, and all other actions undertaken by the organization, and
● will monitor and document the progress of action items/metrics developed and on a regular basis provide an update on progress to the Executive Director and/or the Board as applicable.
These designated representatives will be determined by the Board, Executive Director, staff, and/or committee chairs as appropriate and applicable.
Recruitment
The appropriate Staff and Board will make concerted efforts that its Staff, Board, and volunteers reflect the diversity of Arlington County.
Training
The Executive Director and/or Board will designate a training opportunity that supports this policy which must be taken by all board members and staff at least once.
Stewardship Statement.
Board meetings and other events shall open with a statement that reflects EcoAction Arlington’s values and will include, but not be limited to, a recognition of past injustices and a commitment to diversity and environmental equity.
Compensation and Benefits
To the extent possible, the Board and the Executive Director will strive to offer a compensation and benefits package that does not hinder the ability to attract candidates of all socioeconomic circumstances.
Procurement
It is the policy of EcoAction Arlington to work for equity through its procurement activities. The Executive Director will strive to procure goods and services from a diverse range of providers including minority-owned businesses and strive to avoid goods and services from prison labor, which is inherently racist.
Inclusive Language and Images
Committee chairs, Board members, and staff members will be responsible for ensuring that with relation to EcoAction Arlington any language, images, written documents, oral presentations, events, and volunteer activities do not have a bias and are inclusive.
Compliance
The Board will designate board member(s) who will ensure that the organization is in compliance with all aspects of this policy.
*Please see EcoAction Arlington’s Justice and Inclusion Policy Guidance document for details of
how these actions are implemented.