Our Equity Journey

United Way Halifax values the rich diversity of all community members. Over the past number of years, we have been working towards building inclusive environments where everyone’s voices and experiences are honoured and respected. We are adapting our practices to become more equitable. We are also using our relationships and influence to encourage others to consider equity in their own work.

Our Values About us

What is equity?

Equity, unlike the notion of equality, is not about sameness of treatment. Equity denotes fairness and justice in process and in results. Equitable outcomes often require differential treatment and resource redistribution so as to achieve a level playing field among all individuals and communities. – McGill University

Learning about equity and how it impacts the systems we’re forced to work within, is a journey. This journey is never ending, and we recognize there’s always more that can be done. We started reporting on this journey last year, with our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Report. Below you’ll find the latest examples of what we’ve undertaken, both internally and externally, to further equity in our community. Instead of a one-time report, we’ll aim to keep this page regularly updated.

Our goal is to build a community where everyone can belong, feels safe, and lives a life of their choosing.

  • Community Voices

    Our board starts each meeting hearing from those who work directly with people experiencing poverty. It helps inform their decision making for the organization.

  • Pronouns

    We include staff members' pronouns in our email signatures and on our staff page. This helps others understand how people should be addressed and encourages a more inclusive environment

  • 85%

    Of staff agree our work environment is sensitive to issues of diversity and inclusion that include them.

  • 25%

    Of our board members identify themselves as a person of colour.

To learn more about our equity journey, check out some of our recent blog posts:

  • Group photo of United Way staff with a black background

    Guided by our values

    At United Way Halifax, we are guided by a set of core organizational values that express how we aspire to be when we are at our best. In addition to…

  • Group photo of six women

    Agency retreat focuses on reconciliation

    Each year, United Way Halifax tries to bring our funded agency partners together. In the past, we would gather for a day of networking and learning over topics of shared…

  • Mural of a black man on the side of a building in north-end Halifax

    Resources for understanding Emancipation Day

    In 2021, the House of Commons voted unanimously to designate August 1 as Emancipation Day across Canada. The date was chosen in recognition of the day the Abolition of Slavery…

  • Understanding our land acknowledgement and recognition statement

    If you’ve been at a United Way Halifax event lately, you may have noticed something. We changed our land acknowledgement and created a recognition statement of African Nova Scotian communities.…

  • Colourful dream catchers hanging on a wall underneath the text 'Every One Every Day Halifax' written in chalk

    Every One Every Day - Kjipuktuk

    We acknowledge that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Acknowledging the Mi’kmaq ancestral territory is our way of showing respect for and honoring…

  • Our statement on anti-Black racism

    Systemic anti-black racism exists across the world and in our local community. For generations, Black Nova Scotians have experienced inequities due to systemic racism in Halifax and Nova Scotia and…