Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Our Commitment. Our Journey. Your Association.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At APP, our dedication to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion is unwavering. We firmly believe in the immense value that a diverse community brings to the payments ecosystem, both ethically and operationally. Every member within our organization brings unique perspectives and strengths, and it's our goal to create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered. By working together, we aim to ensure that every segment of our vast membership has equal opportunities to grow, contribute, and succeed. Because, when we unite in our diversity, we strengthen the very foundation of the payments ecosystem.
A Journey of Continous Growth
While we strive for excellence in upholding our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we acknowledge that there may be times when we fall short. Our path towards a fully inclusive and diverse ecosystem is a journey, not a destination. Each challenge faced and lesson learned deepens our understanding and shapes our future actions. We ask for the patience, understanding, and support of our members during such times. It is not our occasional missteps, but our consistent effort and determination to do better, that truly defines our commitment. We are always a work in progress, constantly learning and evolving, with an unwavering dedication to making APP a beacon for diversity and inclusivity in the payments ecosystem.
DEI @ APP Today
Historically, APP has not tracked demographic information about our membership with the belief that someone's demographic background was not a factor in deciding membership or providing benefits. We recognize today this belief resulted in missed opportunities to proactively grow diversity, equity, and inclusion at APP and better serve both our members and our mission. While we cannot undo the past, we are actively engaged in creating a better future.
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While there is still progress to be made, here are some examples of our accomplishments since 2020:
2020: The APP Board made a pledge of commitment to DEI.
2021: The APP Board adopted a formal diversity statement as part of its policies and procedures (below).
APP changed our dues structure to an "inclusive" model, enabling access to a wider range of individuals within every member organization.
APP began to include goals related to DEI within our strategic plan
APP delivered webinars on topics such as implicit bias and expanded the diversity of perspectives across our webinars.
2022: Spawned a subgroup to begin work on a DEI plan.
APP collaborated with other associations, such as PayTech Women, to expand our support and engagement in DEI activities.
APP Committees began to more deliberately focus on the diverse educational needs and backgrounds of our members to expand conference and webinar topics and presenters.
APP began to more actively recruit and encourage a more diverse range of perspectives within our volunteers and included more formal consideration of DEI within our Leadership Development Committee for elections and succession planning.
We began a process of proactively growing our volunteer base and adding new voices and volunteers to committees.
2023: DEI Subgroup became a full committee linked to APP's Governance Committee.
APP joined the Tomorrow's Workforce Coalition, a coalition of 500+ associations working to build support in Congress for workforce development policies that enable greater access to education and professional development opportunities for everyone.
APP's DEI Policy
The following is the official DEI policy approved by the APP Board. In addition to this policy, we have additional policies that further support this effort.
APP embraces and is committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in the payments ecosystem as both an ethical and operational imperative. We will continue to promote a culture that recognizes and develops the potential of all members. We will take proactive steps across all our activities and initiatives to ensure the adoption of processes and practices that enable access to opportunities for inclusion and engagement across all segments of our diverse membership. We will strive to eliminate potential sources of discrimination, harassment, and victimization within our membership. We recognize the benefits of having a diverse community of members and volunteers who value one another and realize the contribution they can make to achieving APP’s mission to ensure the integrity of the payments ecosystem through education, communication and collaboration.
More Coming Soon
We actively welcome more volunteers to help us with our DEI efforts. If you would like to be a part of our DEI initiativesplease contact us to volunteer.