EQUITY DIVERSITY INCLUSION
EQUITY DIVERSITY INCLUSION

LAST UPDATED: MAY, 2026

Where We We're At

The Boston Birding Festival was organized by a small group of volunteers out of a wish to use our skills in service to conservation, birds, nature access, and environmental justice.

As we grow as an organization, we are committed to becoming a diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization where staff, volunteers, leadership, and participants feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other bias.

We are also dedicated to ensuring that the Festival is a partner, ally, and resource for other organizations.

Our 2026-2027 GOALS

We provide occasional updates below and revisit our goals often. We welcome your suggestions, advice, and comments.

Email us at admin@bostonbirdingfestival.org.

DIVERSITY

  • By the end of FY27, the Board will set a process, goals and deadlines for representation at the board/leadership level.
  • By the end of FY27, the Board will host an annual community meeting open to the public by Zoom. We intend to make this meeting an annual event. going forward.
  • The Board will seek guidance from model/mentor organizations and diversity leaders on best practices for building a diverse organization.

EQUITY

  • When the Festival is able to hire staff, equity best practices will be built in to all hiring and training processes.
  • Once the Festival is an approved 501c3 organziation, and able to raise funds, we commit to spending a minimum of 15% in our first year of operations with BIPOC and women-owned business and service providers. Our goal is to increase that to 20% within years.

Inclusion

  • By 2027, the organization will develop and implement detailed guidelines for making our events more accessible to people with disabilities and offer birding events that center people wth disabilities.
  • The Festival supports the disuse of the Audubon name.
  • In FY27 organization will audit its communications with the goal of increasing accessibility. This will become an annual practice.
  • The Festival will seek support and relationships from Funders committed to equity and accountability.
  • The Festival will seek Program Partners commited to equity, environmental justice and diversity.

POLICIES AND PROCESSES

  • The organizations will formally adopt a nondiscimination policy in FY27.
  • Sustability and equity concerns will be baked into our decision-making processes and policies and we will strive to include a wide range of voices in the development of any policy we implement.
  • The Festival commits to always be learning how to be a better more inclusive organization and will include regular time in meetings to discuss this goal and our progress.