United Way of Southern Nevada’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We believe that every person in Southern Nevada must have equal access to solving community problems.
We welcome the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals bring to advancing our mission and progressing our fight for the success of every person in our community.
We take the broadest possible view of diversity, understanding that everyone has different values, beliefs and lived experiences. We value the intersectionality, the interconnected fabric of experiences including but not limited to race, class, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and disability, that develops each person’s unique identity.
We commit to entering partnerships and programs that address the inequities keeping Nevadans from success.
United Way of Southern Nevada’s Anti-Racism Statement
United Way of Southern Nevada lifts our community by engaging with all residents and community leaders, and we seek to include the voices of people who are traditionally and systemically marginalized. Together, we share the leadership role to ensure our community vigorously fortifies racial/ethnic equity, economic justice, and individual empowerment. To sustain racial/ethnic equity in our community, we convene public and private partners to co-create solutions that promote equitable access to the resources, support, opportunities, and networks needed to thrive. We demonstrate our commitment to racial/ethnic justice through our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors, and those of our partners. We commit to leveraging our assets (e.g., convening, strategic investments, advocacy, and education) to create more equitable communities.
United Way of Southern Nevada’s Land Acknowledgment
We are on the unceded lands of the Nuwu people who continue to exist and thrive in this area as the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe and Moapa Band of Paiutes. We honor the land and those who remain stewards of the lands of Nevada presently and throughout the generations. This acknowledgement only becomes meaningful when combined with accountable relationships and informed actions. United Way of Southern Nevada is committed to uplifting Indigenous voices and to entering into partnerships and programs that address the inequities faced by Indigenous communities.
United Way of Southern Nevada Commits To
- Promoting respect, equity, access and participation of all individuals and entities who interact with the organization.
- Being intentional about building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and community.
- Providing additional education for our staff, volunteers and board members to be social equity advocates, providing training and environments that reflect the diversity of our communities, and elevating cultural and racial awareness.
- Diversifying our board and committee leadership.
- Using our collective resources to ensure people have access to the building blocks needed for success – starting with quality early education, financial empowerment, and access to health care and screenings.
- Applying an equity lens when making community investments. See examples of our work here:
- Unidos Por Nevada
- Language Access Plan
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce
- Continuously evaluating and assessing how current and future resources are applied to close disparities.
- We focus on programs that provide economic opportunity and correct economic inequities through education, financial stability and health. Learn more about our programs here.
United Way of Southern Nevada is a nonpartisan organization that creates a safe place where views and beliefs can be expressed, in a climate of inclusiveness and respect; in order to provide people a way to engage with one another, learn from each other and gain mutual respect and understanding for each other.
We dedicate ourselves to using these principles for our business and our communities and invite others to join us in uniting for Nevada’s success.
United 4 Equity
Through our United for Equity Initiative, we have brought together over 200 of Southern Nevada’s nonprofits to educate and celebrate diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. In our United for Equity panel series, we have united local leaders from historically marginalized communities to discuss the challenges they have faced and to celebrate the contributions made by our diverse Southern Nevada community.
Black History Month Celebrations
2022 Virtual Panel:
Black history month celebrates the achievements of African Americans and recognizes their roles in U.S. history. On February 17, 2022, United Way of Southern Nevada hosted a Black History Month panel discussion of the documentary, “The Skin You’re In” and the topic of health and wellness in the Black Community. The virtual panel featured various national and local community leaders including, the Executive Writer and Producer of the film, Dr. Thomas LaVeist, UWSN President and CEO, Julian High, Nevada State Senator Pat Spearman, Dr. Thompson-Robinson of the UNLV School of Public Health, and Will Rucker, Co-leader of Compassionate Las Vegas. This important discussion honored Black History Month and address the barriers the Black Community faces regarding health and wellness in Southern Nevada and across the nation.
*UWSN strives to provide an open space for the critical and civil exchange of ideas. Please be advised that at minute 36:59 there was the use of language that some may find offensive and/or sensitive.
2021 Virtual Panel:
Black history month celebrates the achievements of African Americans and recognizes their roles in U.S. history. On March 4, 2021, during our Nonprofit Sector Screening of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” we honored the legacy of Civil Rights Activist and U.S. Representative John Lewis. The film explores Lewis’s life, legacy, and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism – from when he was on the frontlines of the Civil Rights Movement to the legislative powerhouse he was throughout his career. In our Nonprofit Call that happened on March 4, 2021, Latoya Holman from the LVMPD Foundation led a panel discussion of the film, featuring our incredible panelists: Regina Coward, Police Officer at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Roxann McCoy, President, NAACP Mary Whitehead, Ph.D., Director UNLV Student Diversity & Social Justice.
AANHPIM Heritage Month Celebrations
2022 Virtual Panel
UWSN strives to provide an open space for the critical and civil exchange of ideas. UWSN is a nonpartisan organization and does not endorse political views that may have been shared during the Nonprofit Sector Call. We were honored to celebrate AANHPIM Heritage Month during our Nonprofit Sector Call this week with our inspiring panel discussion of advancing AANHPIM leaders through collaboration. THANK YOU to our panelists, Judge Cynthia S. Leung, Emory Nihipali, and Doreen Hall, hosts of Little Grass Shack on 91.5 KUNV, Terry Chi, Director of Digital Marketing of Vegas PBS, Angelica Villarta of Blucat Group, and Ava Carino, UNLV undergrad and Second Vice-Chair with AAPI Dems for leading this important discussion and sharing your perspectives with our nonprofit community.
2021 Virtual Panel
AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the diverse contributions that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made throughout American history. During our Nonprofit Panel Discussion of the final episode of the PBS documentary series, Asian Americans, we will honor the incredible contributions and challenges experienced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout history and hear perspectives from AAPI leaders in our Southern Nevada community. In our Nonprofit Sector Call that happened on May 27, 2021, Nicole Santero from OCA Las Vegas led a panel discussion of the episode, featuring our incredible panelists:
Vida Lin, President, and Founder, Asian Community Development Council Erica Mosca, Executive Director, and Founder, Leaders In Training Sonny Vinuya, President and CEO, Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce
Pride Month Celebrations
2021 Virtual Panel
Pride Month celebrates and honors the LGBTQ+ community and their rights in Southern Nevada. During our nonprofit panel discussion, we discussed the film A Secret Love a story of courage, resilience, and compassion that follows a same-sex couple who were together for over 6 decades. John Waldron from The Center led a panel discussion of the film, featuring our incredible panelists: Sy Bernabei, Executive Director at Gender Justice, Holly Reese, Director of Advocacy and Training at The Center Andre Wade, State Director of Silver State Equality.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations
2021 Virtual Panel
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions, history, and cultures of Hispanic American champions. During the call, we hosted our Hispanic Heritage Month Panel, where we discussed the PBS documentary, DOLORES, a film that follows Dolores Huerta and her journey and accomplishments as a labor rights activist. Councilwoman Olivia Diaz led a panel discussion of the documentary with our featured panelist and inspiration of the film, Dolores Huerta, President and Founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and our incredible panelists: Bliss Requa-Trautz, Executive Director of Arriba Las Vegas Worker Center, Ruben J. Garcia, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Workplace Law Program at UNLV Boyd School of Law.
Native American Heritage Month Celebrations
2021 Virtual Panel
Native American Heritage Month celebrates the culture and history and recognizes Native American and Indigenous peoples as well as American Indian communities. We were so honored to have Natalie O’Neal from the Native American Steering Committee with the Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition join our nonprofit call to celebrate #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth and share about the practice of land acknowledgments. Together, we are committed to honoring the Numu (Northern Paiute), Nuwu (Southern Paiute), Wa She Shu (Washoe), and Newe (Western Shoshone) People who steward the lands of Nevada presently and throughout the generations.
United for Equity Resource Guides
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
The 100 Black Men of Las Vegas provides the community with mentoring efforts designed to provide added opportunities to elementary, junior high, high school, and college students in need.
Mission: Create an innovative, entrepreneurial space that promotes economic development for local and global businesses.
PLAN Nevada builds power with our community through strategic organizing and policy advocacy to build a strong and fair Nevada that puts people and the planet first.
Office of Minority Health Equity
The mission of the Nevada Office of Minority Health is to improve the quality of health care services for members of minority groups; to increase access to health care services; to seek ways to provide education; and to address, treat and prevent diseases and conditions that are prevalent among minority populations.
At Partners for Health Equity (P4HE), believes that everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care without being burdened with high costs, which can lead to disruptions in daily lives.
Asian Community Resource Center
ACRC provides a range of assistance to Asian Pacific Islanders to work in partnership with the state, community, and other agencies in human, economic development services, and health and wellness activities.
- Serves as the leading aggregator of anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander hate incidents
- Offers multilingual resources for impacted community members
- Provides technical assistance from rapid response to preventative measures
- Supports community-based safety measures and restorative justice efforts
- Advocates for local, state, and national policies that reinforce human rights and civil rights protections
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
The mission of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) is to promote the mental health and well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Our mission is to strengthen the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the Bay Area by increasing philanthropy and supporting the organizations that serve our most vulnerable community members.
At OCA Las Vegas, our mission is to provide support and empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) to find our voice and identity while making make positive changes in the community.
Asian Community Development Council
The mission of the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) is to improve the general well-being and education of the Asian, Pacific Islander and other ethnic communities in Nevada.
Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce
Serves as a forum to understand current business issues and help people expand their horizons in the society, offers social/networking opportunities, and increases referrals/business for members, and gives the Las Vegas Asian business community the opportunity to address important business and ethical issues.
To advance the interest of all Asian Pacific Islander Americans in Nevada. particularly those in the working class, through advocacy on issues such as access to healthcare, education and pathways to citizenship.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Our mission is to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.
The Center brings together programs, resources, and services to meet the needs of our community and the community around us.
UNLV Spectrum focuses on activism, education, outreach, and creating a safe place for LGBTQ+ students on campus where they can be who they are and find like-minded people.
The ACLU of Nevada is an affiliate of the national ACLU, and it was founded in 1966. It is the only organization in Nevada dedicated solely to protecting the Constitutional rights and liberties of every individual in the state.
Our mission is to create safe and inclusive spaces for self-expression, inspire an authentic sense of activism in the continued fight for equality, and celebrate the unique heritage and diverse cultures of the LGBT+ community of Southern Nevada and its allies.
Las Vegas TransPride works on bringing Pride, Awareness, Remembrance, Celebration, Empowerment, and Support to the Trans* Expansive community with little or no charge to the community. We strive on bringing the community together in a safe place and offering various activities throughout the year that can bring the community together, and work alongside the larger LGBTQ community.
Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada
To promote the healthy functioning of individuals, families, & communities through affordable, sensitive, and professional behavioral health services in a safe environment.
By inspiring and engaging individuals and communities, the Human Rights Campaign strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. HRC envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people plus community members who use different language to describe identity are ensured equality and embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.
The mission of PFLAG is to build on a foundation of loving families united with LGBTQ+ people and allies who support one another, and to educate ourselves and our communities to speak up as advocates until all hearts and minds respect, value, and affirm LGBTQ people.
The mission of Young Equal is to create environments that promote self-acceptance, community, and love for the LGBTQ+ community.
Henderson Equality Center is a community supported organization to engage, empower, enrich, and advance the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, allies, and queer community of Henderson, NV by providing a safe space, pursuing resources, and providing courses focus on educational, social, support, skill building, and job assistance classes for at-risk, low-income LGBTQ youth and adults.
A Latinx LGBTQ+, bilingual and cultural space fighting for gender justice and liberation through dialogue & collectivism.
Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) provides support and advocacy for adults and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Nevada. AFAN works to reduce HIV infection through prevention education to eliminate fear, prejudice, and the stigma associated with the disease.
Research, Education, and Access for Community Health (R.E.A.C.H.) is a Non-Profit organization that provides evidenced-based research, information, development, and implementation of programs to improve community health services and access to care in the State of Nevada, regardless of race, creed, religion, color, sex, marital status, or physical challenges.
Arriba Workers Center Las Vegas
Our mission is to develop, educate, and empower worker and migrant communities to take action to defend their rights as workers and migrants.
Our Mission: We Drive Political and Economic Empowerment.
Puentes mission is to be an innovator in the development of comprehensive, collaborative, and culturally relativistic initiatives that seek to provide permanent, sustainable solutions through addressing root causes, disparities, and inequities in our social order.
The mission of the Latin Chamber of Commerce is to promote the success of small businesses by facilitating positive business, cultural, and educational relationships.