Comprehensive & Customizable DEI Mission Statement

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [Mission/Vision] Statement

At [bank name], we believe that more diversity, equity, and inclusion drives value for our [shareholders/customers] and makes us better able to serve our customers and community. [Insert sentence tying DE&I to existing bank mission statement]. We are stronger as a team that welcomes diverse perspectives, experiences and approaches to foster a stronger, smarter, and more informed [bank].

We lead with inclusion first. Our board of directors and bank leadership are invested in diversity of thought. We strive to create an environment where employees are valued, empowered to positively support our business objectives and customers, and recognized for their individual and team contributions. We believe that building a truly inclusive culture is essential for all our employees to bring their authentic, whole selves to work and experience a sense of belonging and support. We achieve this by recruiting and retaining a diverse talent pool; increasing employee engagement through professional development and community outreach activities; and offering personal growth workshops and team-building opportunities. Our inclusive culture also extends to our customers. We aspire to be a bank where diversity of thought is embraced, and we recognize how this supports our promise to bring the best solutions and products to our customers. We enjoy a workplace built on trust, respect, and valuing difference — where we welcome expressive dialogue, distinct talent, unique perspectives, and inquiry from individuals of various backgrounds. [Bank name] leverages different ideas and unique perspectives to attract and shape a varied and innovative team of highly regarded banking professionals, resulting in an inclusive environment that values every employee’s performance and achievements and equitably meets every customer’s banking and financial needs.

We believe that individuals enhance our culture because of their identity or differences, such as: socio-economic class; age or generation; ablebodiedness or accessibility needs; race, ethnicity or nationality; gender, gender identity and expression; sexual orientation; religion and worship practices; education or matriculation status; veteran or military service status; family or caregiver responsibilities; personal appearance; genetic information; political affiliation; work, thought, and leadership styles; and/or technical skills. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach, providing equal opportunity for employment and advancement and treating our customers equitably.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for diversity, equity, and inclusion, [Bank name] strives to: [choose some or use all]

• Understand diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve.
• Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report organization progress.
• Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
• Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission.
• Challenge entrenched assumptions about being a strong leader, and who has opportunity or sponsorship to assume leadership roles.
• Cultivate respectful communication and cooperation between all employees and with customers. Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
• Foster teamwork and employee participation, encouraging the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
• Contribute as employers and employees to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for the diversity.
• Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, advisory bodies, and customers and community.
• Lead with respect and acceptance of difference. We expect all employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.

[Bank name] abides by the following action items to help promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace: [choose some or use all]

• Pursue cultural competency throughout our organization by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
• Generate and aggregate quantitative and qualitative data related to diversity, equity, and inclusion to make measurable progress toward the visibility of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
• Improve our leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of the community we serve.
• Continue to diversify our board of directors and senior executives to shape [bank’s] policies, strategy, and leadership.
• Pool resources and expand offerings for underrepresented customers by connecting with other organizations in our community committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
• Develop a system for being more intentional and conscious of bias during the hiring, promoting, or evaluating process. Train our hiring team, managers, and senior leadership on equitable practices.
• Develop and improve upon processes to ameliorate and remove unconscious bias in our customer service. Train all employees on equitable practices.
• Practice supplier diversity with vendors.
• Engage in initiatives that foster economic mobility, community development, and financial education.
• Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression and disparity.

Our attention to equity, our rich diversity, and our commitment to inclusion makes us stronger and helps us better serve our customers and our community.

Employees or customers who believe they have been subjected to any kind of discrimination that conflicts with [Bank name]’s diversity, equity, and inclusion statement and initiatives should seek assistance from a supervisor or an HR representative.

Links to examples of ABA member banks’ DEI mission/vision statements:

Solera Bank
Farmers National Bank
Eastern Bank
Zions Bank
Mercantile Bank
Old National
Bank of America

For assistance formulating a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy in compliance with Financial Institution Diversity for regulated agencies, see the FDIC Policy Framework.