DEI in 2025: E is for Equity and Embodiment
Election years are challenging. With strong opposing opinions and a growing “us versus them” mentality, tensions often rise as we hope for newly elected decision-makers that will make our lives and communities more humane, fair, and joyful. For those of us working to make a positive difference, these tensions not only affect our personal lives—they can shape the very nature of our work.
This is especially true for social impact professionals, as we know that election seasons and political decisions can either strengthen or hinder our ability to carry out our missions. The uncertainty surrounding how new policies will affect everything from funding to public perception to advocacy capabilities is very real, and bring with them a host of challenges that impact organizations and their people in different ways.
Amid these complexities, regardless of your organization’s mission or how this political season unfolds, one essential priority remains: how your organization and leadership will start or continue to practice equity.
Understanding Equity
Many of us were likely introduced to the concept of equity through a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) model. In my experience as a facilitator, the “E” is often the most challenging to grasp. Many assume it stands for equality rather than equity. While the terms are similar and interrelated—after all, we need equity to achieve equality—the concept of equity differs significantly from simply ensuring that ‘everyone gets the same.’
A leadership-focused definition of equity is simple: it is the practice of providing people with the resources and attention they need to succeed based on their unique, individual needs. For those of us actively practicing equity, we know that simple does NOT mean easy! Truly making resources accessible to all in ways that honor their unique positioning is not without its challenges.
Practicing equity requires more than implementing strategies and policies. It demands an unfathomable amount of humility, reflection, listening, courage, and patience to practice equity well. Equity work encompasses a wide range of emotions: some days, it feels light, while others can be quite dark. It can be both life-giving and draining, bringing incredible moments of joy and hope, followed by harsh realities.
Ultimately, equity isn’t something that we do, it’s something that we embody.
As we continue to navigate what has truly been a tumultuous election season, many still wonder how politics can make resources, especially DEI resources, vanish into thin air. While some of this is beyond our control, I encourage you to trust that the work of DEI can still happen, even in the absence of designated funding for a DEI retreat or consultant.
If we believe the “E” in DEI also stands for embodiment, and we trust that it can become a core value of who we are and how we lead, then we—and our teams—can learn how to keep equity alive and well in our organizations. Here’s how you can begin practicing Embodying Equity today:
1. Know & Own Your Equity Story
It’s easy to assume that DEI efforts and initiatives are always exclusively tied to issues of the -isms and phobias (racism, transphobia, etc). These topics often dominate DEI conversations because we’ve seen how harmful society has been to marginalized groups. However, there is always room to recognize how inequities have shown up in your own life—even if you don’t have an identity that places you on the receiving end of society’s most harmful norms.
Equity is a practice for all. It’s about respecting everyone’s story and co-creating solutions and initiatives that meet everyone’s needs. Embodying equity means looking at everyone—yourself included—and staying curious about positionality and how each person can feel they belong to the same mission and vision.
In my coaching and consulting work, I often discuss workplace wellbeing equity with leaders, encouraging them to envision a culture where everyone has access to care and a sense of wellbeing in their work. I prompt them to first reflect on their own experiences—this is where embodiment comes in. I ask them to recall the core memories of how and why they entered the social impact workforce and to imagine what it would physically feel like to experience wellbeing in their roles as social impact leaders. Once they identify this feeling for themselves, they become better positioned to understand what it takes to ensure that everyone can share their unique stories and access those same feelings of support. The belief that “nobody is well until we’re all well” must hold true for every single member of the organization, including yourself.
2. Release the ‘Fix It’ Mindset
Much of our work as social impact professionals is about fixing and eradicating issues. The nonprofit industry has historically thrived on the transactional nature of asking for money to address problems. For the fundraisers reading this, I know you’re often tasked with explaining your mission and programs in ways that are linear, detailing specific steps on a timeline that will lead to proven outcomes.
While these models can be useful, they’re not entirely applicable to the practice of equity. Equity exists because we operate within systems that need fixing, but the work of equity is fundamentally about learning how to shift power, own our part, build trust, and co-create solutions with those most impacted by inequity.
To embody equity means that we don’t always need to jump in and find a quick solution. Instead, it often requires us to slow down and sit with our community to reimagine and dream about what can be possible together. So, rather than focusing solely on your equity checklist for your year-end reporting, consider more nuanced practices that invite discomfort, such as shared decision-making, deep listening, reflecting on multiple truths, and being willing to adapt. As we let go of the need for immediate solutions, we open up the possibility for deeper transformation.
3. Be What You’re Longing For
Recently, a fellow consultant and friend of mine, Lauren Burke, shared this beautiful tip on how to conceptualize belonging: it’s about noticing what we LONG for and then figuring out how we can BE the person who embodies that wish or dream. In simpler and more cliché terms: be the change you want to see in the world, and pursue it with integrity.
We can tackle just about any issue through an equitable lens. Whether it’s equitable access to healthcare, education, or any and all resources, embodying the change we seek is foundational to equity work. We all have individual and collective responsibilities, and we all have to do our part to not only speak about what we long for, but model it for others.
For example, as a professional who longs for a nonprofit workforce where all employees feel resourced and cared for, I need to ensure I show up as a model leader. This means staying strong in my accountability and integrity and avoiding behaviors that contradict who I want to be, such as ignoring my own burnout, perpetuating cultures of urgency, or not speaking up when I feel mistreated. These commitments are not always easy, but when I model this behavior, I help create a culture for new norms where conversations around wellbeing equity are welcome.
Godspeed!
If you’re in the United States and reading this before November 5th, I wish you a peaceful and grounding election season. If you find this blog after the election, I hope you are taking steps to ground, resource, and nourish yourself. Regardless of the political future, we social impact professionals will have our work cut out for us. Keeping equity embodiment as a core principle will ensure we can move forward with love, care, and respect for ourselves and those around us.
I invite you to integrate one of these embodiment practices into your work over the next several months. If you would like to learn more about equitable well-being practices for nonprofit and social impact organizations, please get in touch!
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Loretta is known for her passion for empowering individuals and organizations that are dedicated to making their corners of the world a better place. She is an accredited leadership and executive coach and wellbeing strategist with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector.
She is an exceptional conscious social entrepreneur, coach, leadership educator, and wellness practitioner with expansive reach and experience across the social impact landscape. Loretta advocates for better systems that support the wholeness, joy, resiliency, and sustainability of the nonprofit and social impact workforce, and enjoys blending the boundaries between doing good and being well.
Learn more and connect with Loretta at lorettaturner.com