Giving Compass' Take:

• This SmartBrief post examines how organizations — in the nonprofit world or the private sector — can make inclusion an embedded value and address obstacles that stand in its way.

• Among the takeaways are to build more accountability, create safe spaces and find a way to measure progress. Which category does the philanthropy sector need to improve on the most?

• Here's more on why inclusion is necessary for foundation growth.

For years, diversity in most organizations has been largely a numbers game.

Leaders worked to understand the baseline of women and underrepresented minorities in their workforce and viewed increasing those numbers as the solution to the diversity parity problem. But a focus on numbers addresses only half of the factors required for your organization to truly benefit from diversity.

The missing piece — perhaps even more essential — is how well women and underrepresented minorities are actually included in the culture that you have created. Don’t confuse “hiring” with “inclusion.” Inclusion is more than a seat at the table; it’s having your voice heard and your opinions and expertise valued, even if your perspectives differ from others on the team and especially if they do.

Aside from recruiting talent to your organization to close the diversity gap, what can you do to improve inclusion? Begin by examining the individual human factors that can stifle it from happening.

Read the full article about creating a culture of inclusion by Alaina Love at SmartBrief.