DEIB is part of our mission statement:

The Junior League of Raleigh is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

The Junior League of Raleigh welcomes all women who live and identify as women and who value our mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

JLR is committed to DEIB as a strategic priority  

The DEIB statement is incorporated into our bylaws, strategic plan, and policies and procedures.

JLR regularly conducts cultural competency training and bias education training.

Our marketing and communications materials are culturally competent and use inclusive language.

The League creates an environment that enables all members to thrive and master the skills to lead effectively and with compassion.

We collect and analyze the demographics of Wake County to set goals for membership demographics that mirror our county.

Our leaders demonstrate cultural competence and mastery of diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership skills.

We take every opportunity to join conversations around DEIB and to encourage staff and membership to join these conversations.

DEIB in our strategic plan

The Junior League of Raleigh has adopted Diversity Responsibility as a major goal in its strategic plan, with the goal to foster a climate that embraces diversity, fosters equity, promotes inclusion, and increases a sense of belonging within the League.

We have three strategies for meeting this goal:

• Modernize techniques for increasing diversity in the League
• Continue affinity group development
• Collect member demographics and promote member buy-in

How will we measure our progress toward these strategies?

• Recruit at least 25% of provisionals and transfers who identify as diverse in race, age, religion, and orientation each year
• Increase the percentage of members responding to the annual survey that they feel connected within the League by 15% in 2026
• Capture 75% of active member demographic data by 2026

These strategies and measures also go hand in hand with other major strategic goals of member engagement and community engagement.

Affinity Groups

The Junior League of Raleigh offers its members the opportunity to form affinity groups to connect and enhance their member experience. Affinity groups undertake special projects, plan outings, and attend cultural events.  There are currently two active affinity groups:

The Women of Color Affinity Group meets regularly to plan events and develop the potential of diverse women leaders.  Recent activities have included Black History Month Read-In, Black History Tour of the NC Museum of History, Afrofuturism tour at the NC Museum of Art, service projects with community partners, and education and awareness activities around themes of racial injustice, black history, and systemic racism.

The Military Families and Friends Affinity Group supports Junior League women who are veterans and friends and families of active-duty service members.  Recent projects include Paws4Peace Dog Pull Toy service project, making Valentine’s Day cards for veterans at the VA’s Home-Based Primary Care Unit, writing letters and thank you notes to active military and veterans, and a collection drive for the USO Lounge at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.