Unless a hospital works to meet the needs of all its communities, it will be irrelevant, says the former chair of Women’s College Hospital (WCH), Michele Landsberg, “No public institution can thrive unless it attracts and helps every part of the population.”

A world leader in women’s healthcare, WCH had to create an entirely new infrastructure, purpose and mission when it de-amalgamated from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2006. The board of WCH wanted diversity and equity to be built right into the DNA of the new organization. WCH calls its “commitment to optimal health outcomes for diverse women and their families” its Equity Vision – “While ‘diversity’ is a celebration of all that we are, ‘equity’ is our call to action,” explains former Equity Champion Hazelle Palmer. The Equity Vision incorporates the principles of human rights, anti-racism and anti-oppression, and applies to the entire hospital organization, including patients and staff. And it explicitly mandates the resources necessary to achieve its goals.

Harbourfront Centre is one of the most widely attended arts and culture centres in Canada, attracting more than 12 ½ million visits annually to its events and activities. The non-profit recognizes that culture is a powerful way to connect its diverse stakeholders: audiences, users, artists, employees, volunteers, board and committee members.

Family Service Toronto (FST) wanted its board to look more like the community the agency served. It had just improved its governance and had a new strategic direction, but if the board was to reflect the city’s demographic mix, it would need more ethno-racial diversity, more people from LGBTQ communities, more women and young people. With targeted recruiting and help from Maytree’s roster of candidates, it has succeeded.