Mesa Refuge’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

Mesa Refuge supports writers who are tackling the pressing issues of our time. With this mission, and as a nonprofit and steward of the public good, the Mesa Refuge recognizes the vital importance of voicing and codifying our commitment to work toward diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of our organization. We recognize the historical inequities and existing systemic barriers that marginalized people have experienced within institutions, and prioritize this work as essential to our mission.

Our Commitment to DEI: History and Current Actions

Mesa Refuge is evolving as an organization in its 26th year, deepening its commitment to DEI. Periodically, we will share our evolution and process towards equity with our community. As we implement a DEI lens throughout the organization, we recognize that there is always work to be done to evolve our systems and practices. We are committed to proactively evaluating our programs, processes and practices, and actively addressing concerns as they arise. We have a longstanding commitment to these values. The following are steps we have taken—or plan to take—to further reflect these values throughout our organization.

History

• Longstanding commitment to diversity in our residency community is reflected in, and embodied by, Mesa’s alumni community. 
• Prioritized recruiting more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) board members and residents over the past few years.
• Hired an organizational consultant in 2022 to support board and staff in addressing concerns that were raised about board governance, hiring practices and decision-making. An organizational assessment led to a commitment to evolve our practices and policies regarding DEI.

Recent and Current Actions 

• Governance: 
  • Formed a DEI working group, made up of board and staff, to ensure this commitment stays at the forefront.
  • Articulated a DEI Commitment statement, drafted by the working group and approved by the board.
  • Created a board recruitment matrix to ensure DEI lens is employed in identifying new board members. Board is currently more than 50% BIPOC.

• Programs: 
  • Prioritizing BIPOC writer and activist cohorts.
  • Revised residency selection process to ensure equity and gender balance, and greater transparency. 
  • Tracking where we are currently implementing an equity lens, and areas that need attention.

• Staff: 
  • Prioritizing hiring qualified BIPOC candidates for open positions. 
  • Executive Director participated in Building Equitable Capacity workshops offered by the Artist Communities Alliance, ongoing participation in West Marin Coalition for Equity and Justice, and Marin Leadership for Equity and Opportunity (Fall 2024).

• Buildings and Operations: 
  • Land Acknowledgement created in partnership with local Indigenous advisors and shared at events.
  • Renovation of the house included making accessible accommodations for one bedroom and bath.

We will continue to track our intentions and actions, and share updates on our progress.