The Quiet Retreat from DEI
After 2020, many nonprofits made public commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those statements—often made in the wake of tragedy—carried a sense of urgency and moral clarity. But now in 2025, stakeholders are looking for something more: progress, not promises. Follow-through, not just follow-up.
At the same time, the environment around DEI has shifted dramatically. Politically, it’s become a flashpoint. In January, the current administration issued an executive order rolling back federal DEI programs, calling them “radical and wasteful.”¹ Large companies like Meta, Walmart, and Lowe’s have followed suit, scaling back their own DEI efforts. Even Major League Baseball quietly removed “diversity” from its career website.² This kind of backpedaling sends a message. For some organizations, it gives cover to disengage. For others, it makes staying the course feel riskier.
And then there’s the very real sense of “DEI fatigue”—a phrase now used to describe everything from disillusionment and political pushback to burnout and inertia. But let’s be clear: fatigue doesn’t mean failure. And it doesn’t mean the work isn’t worth doing. It’s a signal that your organization may need to pause, reflect, and recommit with clearer goals, stronger alignment, and a steadier hand.
“For purpose-driven organizations, DEI was never supposed to be a moment—it should have been a mindset. ”
For purpose-driven organizations, DEI was never supposed to be a moment—it should have been a mindset. And yet, it’s not hard to see how momentum fades. Teams change. Priorities shift. Reports get shelved. What’s harder is showing up again, with humility and a willingness to make this work more sustainable.
So what does that look like in practice?
Connect the work to your mission.
DEI can’t be seen as a separate effort. If your values include access, belonging, equity, or justice, those ideals should show up not just in one initiative, but across programs, partnerships, hiring practices, and communications.
Make accountability part of how you operate.
When DEI is off to the side or dependent on one champion, it’s more vulnerable to cuts or inaction. We advise clients to weave DEI goals into broader strategies: operational plans, KPIs, board conversations, and donor reporting.
Communicate with clarity and consistency.
Perfection isn’t the goal. But when language around DEI disappears, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Stakeholders don’t expect all the answers—they do expect honesty and progress. Transparency builds trust. Vague gestures don’t.
In a moment where it might be easier to say less—or do less—it’s worth remembering: fatigue often comes from disconnection. From work that feels performative, isolated, or unsupported. But when DEI is treated as a long-term commitment with shared ownership, it becomes part of how your organization lives its values every day.
You don’t have to do everything. But you do have to keep going. Especially now.
At CACCICO, we work with nonprofits and purpose-led institutions to reconnect brand, mission, and strategy. That includes helping organizations clarify where DEI fits—across brand identity, messaging, and operations. When the work is real, not reactive, it creates space for trust to grow. And that’s how we leave the world a little better than we found it.
Sources
1. The White House, Executive Order 14151: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, January 22, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/22/executive-order-14151/
2. Forbes, MLB Removes References To ‘Diversity’ From Careers Website—Here Are All The Companies Rolling Back DEI Programs, March 22, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/03/22/mlb-removes-references-to-diversity-from-careers-website-here-are-all-the-companies-rolling-back-dei-programs/