Two in five people would not donate to a charity that tolerates discrimination, a study from the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org finds.

Based on a survey of more than 2,100 adults in the United States and more than 1,000 adults in Canada, the report, Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) (64 pages, PDF), explores whether donors value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in charities, and whether DEI is a meaningful consideration in the giving process among the general public and different demographic groups. While nearly 41 percent said they would no longer donate to a charity they supported in the past upon learning that the charity’s culture tolerates discrimination against people served, 34 percent would no longer donate to charities using culturally insensitive images and language, and 17 percent would no longer donate upon learning the charity’s board is not diverse.

In addition, more than half (54 percent) of U.S. respondents said they assumed that having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive board and staff has a positive effect on how trustworthy the organization is. And nearly 20 percent of respondents said that representation of race and ethnicity, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religious identity in a community served by a nonprofit was “highly important” in their giving decision, but between 25 percent and 30 percent attributed low importance to the same question.

“A lot has been said about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but not from the perspective of individual donors” said Give.org president and CEO H. Art Taylor. “Our survey shows that most people assume a diverse, equitable, and inclusive charity is more trustworthy, better able to serve its constituents, and incorporates broader perspectives. While each charity’s DEI journey is complex and unique, the pursuit of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive charity is part of an organization’s strategy to be ethical, effective, and trustworthy.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Jacob Ammentorp Lund)