The Environmental Leadership Program launched the Boston Environmental Diversity Collaborative (BEDC) in June 2004 to increase the effectiveness of environmental groups and organizations in Boston that want to substantively integrate diversity into their operations. Through the two-year initiative, ELP created a community of colleagues with the practical skills, knowledge, and awareness to better integrate diversity into their work. Through the Diversity Collaborative, participating organizations joined a dynamic community of leaders and organizations seeking to make the Boston region a hub for diversity within the environmental movement.

Goals and Objectives

During the course of the Collaborative, ELP and its consultants worked with 43 individuals from 12 organizations to:

• Build a cadre of experienced, confident leaders in the Boston environmental community who can act as change agents within their institutions on diversity issues;
• Develop shared knowledge among environmental groups and organization on how to address issues of diversity facing the environmental field;
• Facilitate collaboration among environmental groups and organizations on new diversity initiatives;
• Create a model for how to address diversity issues for potential replication in other regional environmental communities; and,
• Connect environmental organizations in the Boston area to other national environmental diversity efforts, and to diversity initiatives in other fields

Outcomes

The Boston Diversity Collaborative worked with 12 of Boston's leading environmental organizations including the Trust for Public Lands, New England Aquarium, Appalachian Mountain Club, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Trustees for Reservations, Alternatives for Community and Environment, and The Food Project. Working with consultants, representatives conducted diversity assessments of their organizations and developed work plans to achieve their diversity goals.

Following their participation in the Boston Diversity Collaborative, several organizations established or revived staff diversity committees to engage staff throughout the organization and build more momentum for outreach to underrepresented groups. Additionally, organizations conducted staff diversity trainings to prepare staff members for diversity leadership. With support from the Third Sector New England's Diversity Initiative, several organizations also hired consultants to help them to continue their work on diversity issues.