No matter a person’s orientation, all are welcome at Community Futures North Okanagan (CFNO).
And to prove that, the business and employment services organization can now sport a logo that represents safe and inclusive support.
CFNO recently earned the national ‘Rainbow Registered’ certification, which signals that it meets third-party standards for inclusivity with the LGBTQ+ community.
“We are proud to celebrate diversity of every kind and want to make sure that people from the LGBTQ+ community know this is a safe place to land for services, and that we are able to support those who identify in various ways,” said Leigha Horsfield, CFNO executive director.
The Rainbow Registered accreditation program provides a time-limited recognition to businesses and organizations for demonstrating their compliance with standards across four pillars: policies and practices, training for diversity and inclusion, inclusive leadership and a culture of inclusivity.
CFNO had already been taking steps towards an inclusive environment when the opportunity to get Rainbow Registered arose.
Those steps included policies and practices written and communicated through a lens of respect for all genders and orientations, as well as staff training led by facilitators with lived experience.
CFNO also has an inclusion committee that works to educate staff and support inclusion initiatives through activities, information and celebrations.
Volunteer days also give CFNO staff a chance to support organizations that work for the LGBTQ+ community such as Armstrong Pride.
The certification process was done through multiple meetings and a thorough one-on-one application review with an assessor.
Accredited organizations can be associated with the program’s Rainbow Registered designation mark, which is now displayed on the CFNO website.
“Our team is very proud that we’ve been able to achieve this certification and it’s validating to know the work we’ve been doing is recognized by an external body,” said Horsfield.
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