Commitment to Racial Equity Statement

Goosefoot believes in the power of our community gathering together to celebrate, learn, and address problems. Inclusion–regardless of someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation or political beliefs—has been a core value of ours since our founding in 1999.

While our commitment to Inclusion is well documented in our strategic plan and human resources manual, the murder of George Floyd—and other African Americans—at the hands of police officers in 2020 opened our eyes to the need to affirm our principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our community. Goosefoot board and staff are committed to educating ourselves on racism and systemic racism and how they manifest in ourselves, in our organization, and in our community.

Goosefoot’s vision is a thriving South Whidbey Island—for everyone. We are learning how to better support and foster our community’s diversity. We are determined to make our programs more equitable and accessible.

Under the leadership of Goosefoot’s internal Anti-Racism task force, board and staff commit to:

1. Educating ourselves individually and as a group through anti-racism readings and trainings. As we work to educate ourselves in this regard, our anti-racism task force selects a monthly reading or video which is discussed during the last 30 minutes of each board meeting.
2. Evaluating our banking, advertising, and vendor relationships to align our money with anti-racist values.
3. Recruiting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) candidates for new board or staff positions and as tenants for our Bayview commercial retail and service spaces.
4. Instilling anti-racism practices into Goosefoot’s grant making process and hiring protocols.
5. Funding anti-racism activities that support our South Whidbey community.