National inclusion coalition launches Sept. 1 with free online event

The Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion will publicly launch its Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion on Sept. 1, 2026, with a free LinkedIn Live event and the opening of Founding Membership. The coalition is designed to give DEIAB practitioners a national network, rapid-response tools and shared resources as inclusion programs face mounting pressure.

Why it matters: - The Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion is aimed at people working in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging who are facing program cuts, misinformation and professional isolation. - The coalition is built to move inclusion practitioners from survival mode to shared strategy, collective support and faster response. - Founding Membership opens at launch, giving early members a role in shaping the coalition’s priorities and structure.

What happened: - The Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion will launch the coalition publicly on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in a free online event. - The launch runs from 11:00 a.m. Pacific time to 2:00 p.m. Eastern time and will be hosted as a LinkedIn Live session. - The session will feature an open question-and-answer conversation with Institute leaders and community advisors. - Registration for the launch is free.

The details: - The coalition emerged from a strategic planning process the Institute ran in summer 2025 with more than 60 leaders across diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, belonging, human rights and social justice. - Kirk Adams, the Institute’s executive director, said participants described a common set of pressures: professionals feeling isolated, programs under pressure and people fighting the same battles separately. - Adams said: “Programs are being dismantled, funding is disappearing, and professionals are feeling isolated.” - The coalition’s stated functions are rapid response to misinformation and attacks on inclusion work, shared tools and referral networks, stronger storytelling and outreach to the next generation of leaders, and cross-sector collaboration. - The coalition will operate as a national online community on the Circle platform. - The community is intended for practitioners, community leaders, educators, advocates, allies and people directly affected by the rollback of inclusion programs. - One early deliverable is legal literacy and risk-aware advocacy strategy, based on the Institute’s view that members face different levels of professional and personal risk. - Adams said: “The answer to fear is not telling people to be brave and then sending them into difficult situations alone.” - Founding Members will get access to the network, resources, learning opportunities and collaborative initiatives. - The launch conversation includes nine participants: Adams; Joseph Marth, board chair; board members Barbara Deane, Effenus Henderson, Amelia Ransom and Constance Engelstad; and community advisors Jacob Davidson, Alexandra Matthiesen and Terry Loving. - Their backgrounds include corporate leadership, nonprofit management, disability inclusion, racial equity, accessibility and public policy.

Between the lines: - The coalition’s design reflects a shift from symbolic affiliation to an operating structure with practical functions and shared risk management. - The emphasis on legal literacy and risk-aware advocacy suggests the Institute is treating inclusion work as both mission-driven and operationally vulnerable. - The broad mix of launch participants signals an effort to bridge corporate, nonprofit and community-based inclusion work.

What's next: - The Institute is raising funds to underwrite the coalition’s first year on its community platform. - Founding Members will help shape the coalition’s direction from the start. - The launch event is expected to serve as the first public step in building the coalition’s national membership base.

The bottom line: - The Institute is betting that inclusion practitioners need a coordinated national home, not just another network, as DEIAB work faces intensified pressure.