A 97-year-old tradition of inclusive practices continues to thrive WASHINGTON, -- Girl Scouts of the USA has joined several of the nation's leading nonprofits in signing a compact to bring more diversity and inclusion to their industry. The Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Compact announced on Capitol Hill, during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference, where more than 100 nonprofit organizations are engaged in a significant dialogue focusing on the leadership crisis facing nonprofits. The event, titled, Who's Got Next?: A Call for Change in the Nonprofit Sector, includes a panel introduction by Michael Watson, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Diversity, Girl Scouts of the USA. According to Watson, "Girl Scouts has a longstanding commitment to diversity, since its very inception in 1912. It's evident in our employee hiring and recruitment practices, our National Board appointments, and our efforts to reach volunteers, all of which is needed in serving a diverse cadre of girls." At the Congressional Black Caucus event, the honorable Congressman Emanuel Cleaver will moderate and lead the discussion on the strategies being sought to retain and cultivate African-American leadership within the nonprofit sector. Other panel participants include Boy Scouts of America, the National Urban League, National Human Services Assembly, and Girls Inc.--all of whom will focus on topics that include increasing leadership--employees and board; diversity in nonprofits; strategies for recruiting and retaining diverse talent; and actions nonprofits and foundations can take to demonstrate a commitment to diversity. For more information about the diversity compact, which encourages signers to create written antidiscrimination policy; apply inclusive methods in recruiting, hiring, and managing staffers; and to regularly assess movement toward creating a more diverse organization, visit:http://www.humanics.org/site/c.omL2KiN4LvH/b.5394397/k.31EB/Diversity_and_Inclusion_Compact.htm. About Girl Scouts Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls--all girls--where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts' membership has grown from 18 members in Savannah, Georgia, to 3.4 million members throughout the United States, including U.S. territories, and in more than 90 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas. SOURCE Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.