Equity at MNA

Why We Center Equity and Belonging

As the state association for nonprofits (501c3 organizations) across Montana, MNA is committed to embedding practices that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into our work. Nonprofits recognize that societal systems can lead to gaps in services and unequal access to resources.  We exist as a sector to fill those gaps and respond to the needs created by lack of resources and infrastructure.  We will never achieve our missions without considering the historic context of the issues we seek to resolve.

We know that acts of systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement in our state have deprived many communities of essential resources, services, and support. This specifically includes Indigenous, Black, other communities of color, and rural communities. This also extends to many organizations that have been historically excluded and underfunded within the nonprofit community.

Our mission at MNA is to serve and support nonprofits organizations so they have the capacity to serve their missions to the best of their ability. While our focus is on organizations, we recognize it is individual people who make organizations work. We believe that promoting and facilitating belonging for historically marginalized individuals is not only our social responsibility but is a best practice in creating an association that reflects all of Montana.

Our vision is to support an operating environment that allows all nonprofits – and people working within and served by those nonprofits – to fully meet their mission. There are many practices we have adopted in service of that vision. Some, such as inviting people to share their pronouns in a training or beginning events with land acknowledgements, are intended to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Others, such as asking for your demographic information, help us understand who is in the room with us. These are just a few examples, and we invite you to share with us how we can better represent and include all Montanans in our work.

In addition, we are committed to providing culturally-specific trainings and trainings focused on workplace well-being, and investing our time and resources into researching and sharing information about how organizations can be more equitable and inclusive.

It is a core responsibility of our association to ensure that all people serving in the nonprofit sector believe they belong here as members, and that they can engage with us and receive value from us while being their authentic self.  This responsibility has been articulated first by MNA’s Board and has since been carried out across our operations.  Meeting that responsibility serves all of us, strengthens our association and sense of community, and moves the sector as a whole toward resilience and vitality. 

Learning

We engage in diverse experiences, expertise, and wisdom. We practice honest reflection.

Growth

We use our learning to inform observable changes in our own behaviors, systems, and policies. We practice humility, offer amends, and adapt when we cause harm.

Community

We prioritize authentic relationship-building as a way of doing our work.

Agency

We trust the experience of others and work with those most impacted.

Accountability

We are accountable to our members and communities of color, rural communities, tribal communities, and others who are historically underrepresented.