There is consensus in the philanthropic sector that diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to any social
mission. Putting intentions into action, however, can be difficult. Fully embracing diversity and inclusion values
are not easy.
Since 2008, Soleil Advisors (a fictitious name for the purpose of this case and assignment) has advised
foundations and donors on philanthropic strategy. Soleil Advisors grew rapidly, but increasingly mid- and juniorlevel staff expressed the concern that the workplace felt disconnected from the people and places served.
Clients also expressed a desire for greater diversity on Soleil’s project teams.
In 2010, Soleil made a commitment and initiated an effort to increase diversity in its workforce. A diversity team
was formed, ideas were solicited from staff members, and several ad-hoc diversity committees were formed.
Leadership at Soleil supported diversity and inclusion efforts, including hiring more “diversity candidates.”
Valuable initiatives and goals were offered by the team and committee members, but they were not fully
integrated into Soleil’s overall strategic plan. Initially, the efforts were scattershot and disorganized. Although
Soleil’s commitment to diversity was genuine, there was no coherent strategy. Management did not seem to
fully understand the goals or accept accountability. What seemed to be lacking was a common understanding
of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The diversity team acknowledged that they had misjudged the complexity of what it meant to be a diverse
organization. Soleil’s leadership readily admitted that it made several mistakes and encountered several
stumbling blocks.
In 2012, Soleil decided to pause and step back. Due to a desire to observe and demonstrate progress,
emphasis had been placed on measurable outputs and statistics without fully understanding the issues. The
diversity team re-focused on approaching diversity, equity, and inclusion as Soleil-wide strategic issues.
Additionally, Soleil made a commitment to learning about the intricacies of diversity and inclusion. People were
designated to lead the charge and be accountable.
A newly formed Human Resources department took responsibility for Soleil’s diversity commitment. A simple,
but doable goal was set for the first year: the development of a long-term vision and strategy for what a
diverse, equitable, and inclusive Soleil Advisors should look like.
You have been hired by Soleil Advisors as a diversity consultant to assist the organization in moving forward.
Using the STAR framework (Sweeney & Bothwick, 2016, p. 7, Figure 1.1) identify and briefly describe Soleil
Advisor’s current stage.
Using Figure 17.2, STAR – measuring progress (pp. 246-247) discuss the actions that you would take,
recommendations that you would make, and steps that you would outline to assist Soleil.
In other words, your task as a diversity consultant, using the STAR framework, is to assist Soleil in developing a
coherent plan to advance diversity.
Sample Solution