How we identify board

How we identify


Some members of the Inatai Foundation board convene in Bingen in September 2022.

At Inatai Foundation, we know individual identities strengthen collective efforts. That’s why we believe in building a board representative of the diverse communities we serve and with a wealth of lived experiences to inform our work.

With an eye toward transparency and to meet the same expectations we ask of grant and sponsorship applicants, we are sharing the demographic information of our board. In this way, we hope both to feature the multifaceted identities our board members bring to the table and shed light on opportunities to deepen future diversification efforts.

Race

Board members identify as the following races:

  • American Indian – Chumash (one)
  • Asian American (one)
  • Black (two)
  • Latin/Hispanic (one)
  • Latinx (two)
  • Native American (one)
  • White (six)

Eight of our 14 current board members identify as people of color.

Ethnicity

Board members identify as the following ethnicities:

  • American (one)
  • Indigenous California Indian (one)
  • Irish (one who identifies with multiple ethnicities)
  • Czech (one who identifies with multiple ethnicities)
  • French (one who identifies with multiple ethnicities)
  • Irish (two who identify with multiple ethnicities)
  • English (two who identify with multiple ethnicities)
  • Scottish (one who identifies with multiple ethnicities)
  • Pennsylvania Dutch (one who identifies with multiple ethnicities)
  • Korean (one)
  • Nicaraguan (one)
  • South American (one)
  • Venezuelan (one)
Immigrant Experience

Three board members identify as immigrants, from Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

Five board members have immigrant family members or come from an immigrant family, from Nicaragua, South Korea, Netherlands, Greece, Venezuela, Mexico, and other Latin American countries.

Refugee Experience

No board members identify as refugees themselves. No board members have family members who identify as refugees.

Public Assistance

Four board members have used public assistance before, including but not limited to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. Nine board members were raised in families or households who used public assistance.

Court-Affected

No board members identify as court-affected (formerly incarcerated, under parole, paying court debt, etc.).

Disability

Two board members identify as being disabled or having a disability. Disabilities shared include muscular dystrophy.

Sexual Orientation

Twelve board members identify as straight or heterosexual, one identifies as lesbian, and one identifies as queer.

Gender Identity

Board members identify as women (three), men (one), female (one), transgender men (one), cisgender women (three), cisgender men (three), and cisgender (one).

Age

Two board members are in their 40s, three board members are in their 50s, eight board members are in their 60s, and one board member is older than 70.

Households

Board members describe their households as: two-parent, married with no children, married, single, domestic partner household, complicated, and multigenerational.

One board member is a renter. Thirteen board members are homeowners.

Grew Up

Board members grew up in the following places:

  • Pacific Northwest
  • Rural Nebraska
  • Washington DC
  • Montana
  • Missouri
  • New York City
  • Bolivia
  • Los Angeles
  • Venezuela
  • Nicaragua
  • San Francisco
  • Guam
  • Santa Barbara
  • Swinomish
  • Olympia
  • Everett
  • Seattle
Formal Education

One board member completed an associate degree, two board members completed a bachelor’s degree, eight completed a master’s degree, and three completed a doctorate degree.

First Generation College

Four board members were the first ones in their family to go to college.

Formal Education of Parents

The highest level of formal education our board members’ parents received includes:

  • Middle school (five)
  • High school (three)
  • Some college (one)
  • Associate degree (one)
  • Technical education (two)
  • Bachelor’s degree (seven)
  • Master’s degree (one) or other graduate degree (three)
Religion and Spirituality
  • Christian (one)
  • Spiritual with no specific affiliation (two)
  • None (two)
  • Nominal Christian (one)
  • Zen Buddhism (one)
  • Agnostic (one)
  • Believe in a higher power and the spirit in ourselves (one)
  • Catholic (one)
  • Seventh-day Adventist (one)
  • Raised Catholic, but not practicing (one)