York Region – Diversity is the Ingredient and Inclusion is the Mixer

April 11, 2016

Frankie Chow and Lucia Ly

Frankie Chow: Campaign Coordinator at Mackenzie Health Foundation, Fellow in the Fellowship in Inclusion and Philanthropy Program. / Lucia Ly: Fund Development Officer at Sandgate Women’s Shelter of York Region Inc., Fellow in the Fellowship in Inclusion and Philanthropy Program.

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Welcome to York Region!

We would like to talk about the growing diversity in this region, why it is unique and what some of the opportunities and challenges are for charitable/not-for-profit organizations to become more inclusive and to strengthen their relationships and partnerships with these diverse communities. When we talk about fundraising, everyone looks to Toronto as the gold standard and best practices. But did you know that York Region is now the fastest growing region in Ontario and the third fastest in Canada, outgrowing even Canada and Ontario as a whole. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for nonprofits to get to know about this unique and diverse region and the communities that reside here.

Who Lives in York Region?

York Region is home to 1.03 million people spread out over nine local municipalities including Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Whitchurch-Stouffville. Take a drive in York Region and you will quickly discover how large the region is and the uniqueness of each municipality. From large urban areas, quiet suburbs, to beautiful countryside farmland– it’s all there in York Region.

York Region is also made up of increasingly diverse communities:

  • Residents identify with more than 200 ethnic groups and speak 122 distinct mother tongues.(1)
  • 43% of the population identify themselves as visible minorities.(2) This number is projected to grow to 62% by 2031.(3)
  • The top visible minorities represented are: Chinese, South Asian (e.g. East Indian), West Asian (e.g. Iranian), African/Black, Southeast Asian (e.g. Vietnamese), Latin American, Arab and Korean.(4)
  • 45% of the population is born outside of Canada. (5) This number is expected to rise to 55% by 2031.(6)
  • 75% of residents settle in Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill. 90% of recent immigrants settle in these three cities.(7)
  • 77% of residents reported a religious affiliation with the highest being Christian followed by Jewish, Muslim and Hindu.(8)

York Region enjoys a strong and diverse labour force and is one of the most highly educated in Canada (9). It boasts a higher median income including a median family income that is second highest in the Greater Toronto Area next to Halton Region.(10)

With Great Diversity Comes Great Responsibility…

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, York Region is the fastest growing region in Ontario and the third fastest growing in Canada (11). And with almost half the population identifying as a visible minority with a projected increase to more than 60% by 2031, there is certainly the need to create opportunities and initiatives to ensure that all residents are able to contribute and flourish in the community.

The Region of York itself has recognized that diversity alone offers little benefit to organizations and communities and that inclusion is the key ingredient (12).  By creating welcoming and inclusive communities, the region could harvest the economic, social and cultural benefits. (13)

The Let’s Talk Inclusion initiative offered an opportunity for residents in York Region to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges to creating welcoming and inclusive communities. Many felt that there was a lack of diverse representation in organizations (both at staff and senior leadership levels) (14). This is a big opportunity for learning for organizations in York Region – how can we expect to engage diverse communities if these communities cannot see themselves reflected in the organization? Philanthropic Trends Quarterly’s “best practices” in multicultural fundraising include “finding credible, well respected champions who can help build bridges with the community,” and “creating shared ownership through authentic partnerships as key milestones” (15). Therefore, we must engage diverse community members in meaningful ways in order to build sustainable and inclusive relationships.

Another challenge brought up at the Let’s Talk Inclusion consultations was the need to reflect more racial and ethnic diversity in promotional materials (16). Organizations need to ensure that all of their communication activities resonate with diverse audiences (17). In the not-for-profit sector, we are always reminded of the importance of storytelling. We need to find the different stories that will speak to diverse audiences as well as find the right medium to best engage them.

Data shows that the southern municipalities are larger, more urban and have larger diverse populations and as a result, residents found that there was a varying extent and understanding of diversity and inclusion in the different municipalities in York Region (18). By being outspoken about their own diversity and inclusion efforts, organizations working in the region have the opportunity to support and advocate for diversity and inclusion and to work towards bridging the awareness gap between municipalities and the communities they work with.

In addition to the Let’s Talk Inclusion consultations, the Region of York is developing a Diversity and Inclusion Charter for York Region and has released a self-assessment tool for organizations looking to strengthen diversity in all areas from leadership/governance to service delivery. The tool is a great starting point and good reminder that diversity and inclusion must be incorporated into all areas and levels of an organization in order to have real impact.

Towards Inclusivity and Engaging Diverse Communities

York Region provides ample opportunities to explore different ways to engage diverse communities and build new relationships. However, this must be done with great awareness and respect for the different communities.

Organizations working in York Region must first look internally and ensure that their programs and services reflect the needs and cultural makeup of the community, that they are building inclusivity from the top down and from the bottom up. In order to engage volunteers and donors from a particular community, we must ensure that what the organization is doing, its mission and programs reflect the community in authentic and meaningful ways (19).

As fundraisers, we must also be aware and respect that the different communities have different giving practices – that “traditional” forms of fundraising may not be understood or practised in some cultures and might not necessarily translate well to their communities (20).

We must be able and willing to do our research and look at each community through a cultural context, connect and get involved in the community before we are able to engage them into our work and our cause. We must also be willing to think outside the box we have been taught and find new ways of doing. It is imperative that we remind ourselves again and again that no one community is the same – we are all different and unique – and find ways to respect and honour those differences.

Building relationships and partnerships regardless of ethnicity or culture takes time, patience and commitment but with some knowledge, strategies and a willingness to jump in, the possibilities are endless.

Author’s note:

In this blog, we focused solely on the cultural aspect of diversity and inclusion. However, diversity encompasses a wide range of different categories and to be truly inclusive means taking into account all elements that make people diverse and include them into the fold.
If you would like to be a part of the conversation or want to learn more about how diversity and inclusion goes hand in hand in York Region, I highly recommend you to register for AFP The Charitable Soul of York Region: From Diversity to Inclusion in Philanthropy here. Besides hosting some great speakers on the panel, other Fellows will be attending to present their research through their projects.

 

Sources:

The Regional Municipality of York, Community and Health Services Department, What if York Region were a Village of just 100 People?

Council of The Regional Municipality of York, Clause No. 9 in Report No. 1 of Committee of the Whole, Jan 9, 2014

Philanthropic Trends Quarterly, 2011: Issue 2 “The Multicultural Fundraising Issue”

http://kciphilanthropy.com/download_trends/pt-022011.pdf

“Why individual donations strategies often do not work for communities of color” Vu Le

http://nonprofitwithballs.com/2015/09/why-individual-donations-strategies-often-do-not-work-for-communities-of-color/

The Regional Municipality of York Community and Health Services Department, Projections on the Diversity of Residents Living in York Region from 2006 to 2031

http://www.york.ca/wps/wcm/connect/yorkpublic/37abf76c-d572-45e3-ac6f-92b53a914989/diversity%2Bfact%2Bsheet_web.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=37abf76c-d572-45e3-ac6f-92b53a914989

The Regional Municipality of York, Let’s Talk Inclusion: Your Insights on York Region’s Diverse Communities

http://www.yorkwelcome.ca/wps/wcm/connect/immigration/1428aa79-0b07-43a6-99da-c08e64805743/6750+Lets+Talk+Inclusion+-+Summary+Report.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&useDefaultText=0&useDefaultDesc=0&Highlights%20from%20Cultural%20and%20Religious%20Diversity%20Dialogues

 

Heading References

  1. Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey
  2. Ibid
  3. The Regional Municipality of York Community and Health Services Department, Projections on the Diversity of Residents Living in York Region from 2006 to 2031
  4. The Regional Municipality of York, Community and Health Services Department, “What If York Region Were A Village Of Just 100 People?”
  5. Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey
  6. The Regional Municipality of York Community and Health Services Department, Projections on the Diversity of Residents Living in York Region from 2006 to 2031
  7. Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey
  8. The Regional Municipality of York, Community and Health Services Department, “What If York Region Were A Village Of Just 100 People?”
  9. Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey
  10. The Regional Municipality of York, Community and Health Services Department, “What If York Region Were A Village Of Just 100 People?”
  11. Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey
  12. The Regional Municipality of York, Let’s Talk Inclusion: Your Insights on York Region’s Diverse Communities
  13. Ibid
  14. Ibid
  15. (KCI, 2011: Issue 2)
  16. The Regional Municipality of York, Let’s Talk Inclusion: Your Insights on York Region’s Diverse Communities
  17. (KCI, 2011: Issue 2)
  18. The Regional Municipality of York, Let’s Talk Inclusion: Your Insights on York Region’s Diverse Communities
  19. (KCI, 2011: Issue 2)
  20. Vu Le, “Why individual donations strategies often do not work for communities of color”, www.nonprofitwithballs.com