Expanding our circle of insight, inclusion, and impact
Help us empower women by building a strong Woman of Wonder
In today’s nonprofit and businesses everywhere, the words diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity swirl around like confetti—colorful, important, but sometimes hard to grasp. What do they really mean? And more importantly, how do we transition from using buzzwords to building an inclusive organization where these values truly thrive?
Dereca Blackmon, co-founder and president of Inclusion Design Group, has spent over 25 years guiding organizations toward inclusive transformation. In one of her LinkedIn Learning courses, Foundations of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, she offers a powerful metaphor for understanding DEIB.
It’s like going to a dance
Originally coined by inclusion pioneer Verna Myers, the dance metaphor goes like this:
Diversity is being invited to the dance.
Inclusion is being asked to dance.
Belonging is dancing the way you like.
Equity is having a turn at picking the music.
This metaphor illustrates the progression from representation to empowerment. That’s what Woman of Wonder is all about. It’s not enough to have diverse faces in the room. We must also ensure that every person feels seen, heard, valued—and has influence.
Let’s own this
Diversity is representation across various social identities, including race, gender identity, nationality, neurodivergence, and others. In our organization, it means actively seeking to reflect that reality.
Inclusion is how we treat people once they’re part of our organization. Do the newcomers feel comfortable sharing their input? Are their ideas genuinely considered?
Belonging — a deeper question: Can people show up as their authentic selves? Or do they feel pressure to conform to the dominant culture?
Equity is perhaps the hardest to achieve. It’s not just about good feelings—it’s about fair outcomes. As Blackmon says, “Just because everyone feels good doesn’t mean they get paid the same.” Quick note - at Woman of Wonder, we’re all volunteers. Our pay is internal, the reward of doing good, being part of something bigger, participating with us.
You’re invited to the dance!
When organizations embrace all the concepts of DEIB, they don’t just become more ethical—they become more effective.
Innovation thrives when diverse perspectives are welcomed and encouraged, and that’s why we want your perspective.
At Woman of Wonder, our mission is dedicated to bringing more to women’s lives, and our main program provides college scholarships that offer women a path to pursue careers that lead to better pay, or maybe just a job they look forward to every morning. We believe that higher education is our superpower and we want to wield it powerfully in our community.
But first, we need your voice.
We are looking to expand our board. We want to connect with you, learn from your life experiences, and invite you to:
Consider joining our board
Or, apply to be a Kindness Courier and send encouraging emails to our scholarship winners
Or, start with a small time commitment and volunteer for one of our events
Together we can build a stronger, more equitable community.
Ready to take action?
Let’s start a conversation. Send us an email at: info@womanofwonder.org.
Resources: If you have a library card in Southwest Washington, you can use it to access LinkedIn Learning, connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/go/fvrlibraries