Deloitte has announced a $75 million commitment to boost racial and ethnic diversity in the tax and accounting fields.

Making Accounting Diverse and Equitable (MADE) is a multi-pronged commitment to increase the number and quality of opportunities and leadership pathways for racially and ethnically diverse students of accounting and certified public accountants. To boost the representation of students, the accounting giant has committed $30 million to scholarships for students pursuing a fifth-year master's program in accounting and $45 million in support of numerous initiatives, including a CPA exam readiness program; the Deloitte Academy: Accounting Edition program, which collaborates with high schools, colleges, state CPA societies, and various nonprofits to introduce accounting to historically underrepresented and underserved youth across the country; and a strategy to support faculty and administration at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) with curriculum development focused on the evolving skill sets that accountants need.

Additional initiatives include a fellowship program designed to position mid-career accounting professionals for senior roles within their organizations and a working group of racially and ethnically diverse business, academic, and community leaders to provide external perspectives.

"At Deloitte, we know that teams made up of diverse, inclusive professionals are more powerful, innovative, and productive," said Deloitte US chief executive Joe Ucuzoglu. "We're thrilled to make this contribution to help foster diversity in future generations of accounting professionals and ensure those from all backgrounds thrive in this profession we care so deeply about."

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