Anti-Racist Statement & Matching Fund

How to Give to our Boards Matching Fund:

*you may also nominate another organization by emailing YPNTacoma@gmail.com

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July 1st, 2020

YPN Tacoma Pierce County

Anti-Racist Statement/ In Solidarity with BLM

 

The Young Professionals Network of Tacoma-Pierce County earnestly joins in solidarity with our Black members and community in support of the protests and other forms of activism furthering the work of the Black Lives Matter movement and broad efforts to dismantle systemic, institutionalized racism. We recognize that a general crisis of racial injustices exists in this country and must be addressed head on, with transparent and decisive steps towards change.

The mission of YPN Tacoma-Pierce County is to connect young professionals to build lasting relationships socially, philanthropically, and in business. We recognize that building closer connections between members across these three pillars can be a powerful tool in fostering open dialogue and deepening human connections. The lived experiences of our members of color are valid and hold inherent value. YPN must step-up in creating a better platform for their voices to be heard and shared.

In recognition of the need for our organization to take a more proactive approach to anti-racist work within our own membership and community, we commit to the following three immediate action items:

1 – Update the existing YPN Members Code of Ethics to include a zero-tolerance policy for racist comments, dialogue, insinuations, or any other form of discrimination against any minority group, and to now apply to all individuals attending any YPN gathering or event, not just members. Additionally, all members of YPN’s Board of Directors will be required to sign a personal statement committing to enforcing this policy at all YPN events or gatherings.

2 – Draft a condensed statement of inclusivity which, once finalized, will be posted on all event registration pages and be readily available on the YPN website.

3 – Commit to designating at least one Leadership Luncheon a year (out of 4 total quarterly events) to specifically feature a local business owner or speaker of color, starting in 2020.

4 – Promote philanthropic support of the Black Lives Matter movement locally by creating a board incentive matching fund. This giving opportunity will remain active and be continuously promoted until the full match incentive is met. This fund will match any donations to the following organizations, up to $600 total, for a cumulative impact of $1,200 in philanthropic support: Tacoma Urban League, the People’s Assembly, Tacoma Mutual Aid Collective, Hilltop Action Coalition, Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (TUPAC), and Peace Community Center. If you would like to suggest other local (Pierce County) organizations to be added to the list, or if you make a donation to one of the above listed organizations and would like your gift to be matched, please contact the YPN Board of Directors at ypntacoma@gmail.com.

We recognize that these actions are just the first steps towards making YPN Tacoma-Pierce County a more inclusive, anti-racist organization. We are committed to continuing the conversation of how to support this work and identifying new action items to hold the organization accountable. We welcome any community feedback on this work. Please reach out to the YPN Board of Directors at ypntacoma@gmail.com.


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