Summary: The Jewish Organization Equality Index provides benchmarks for gauging, and resources for improving, LGBT inclusivity policies and practices of North American Jewish communal organizations. It is the Human Rights Campaign’s first-ever index of inclusion within a faith-based community and the nonprofit sector, and used similar techniques to HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which rates Fortune1000 companies on inclusion for LGBT employees, and Healthcare Equality Index.
Key findings from the index create a preliminary snapshot of how a broad range of Jewish organizations—from national umbrella and advocacy groups to local nonprofits and synagogues—address LGBT diversity and inclusion in three categories of practice: organizational inclusion efforts, community/client engagement and workplace policies.
An estimated 10% of the organizations invited to take the 89-question survey completed it, which is consistent with HRC’s experience in launching inaugural indices of this type. Of the 204 Jewish nonprofit organizations that participated, 50% received the top score of “inclusion,” meaning they are taking significant steps to welcome LGBT individuals and families.
The index also highlights significant opportunities for improvement, especially in the areas of recruitment and training. Of the participating organizations, 79% of participants expressed they have not targeted the LGBT community in workplace recruitment efforts, and 59% have not completed any diversity or inclusion training in the past three years. More work is needed to understand how representative these findings are across the broader Jewish communal sector.
Initiated by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, together with The Morningstar Foundation, Stuart Kurlander and an anonymous donor, the report aims to push the Jewish community to prioritize inclusion of LGBT employees, members and volunteers into communal organizations.
Author: Human Rights Campaign
Download the Report: Human Rights Campaign 2012 Jewish Organization Equality Index
Download the Press Release: Human Rights Campaign Releases First-Ever Index of LGBT Inclusion within a Faith-based Community
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