Executive summary: This post provides a historical overview of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the Effective Altruism (EA) community, detailing key organizational initiatives, hiring practices, community discussions, and demographic trends over time.
Key points:
Organizational efforts (2015-2024): EA institutions have launched various initiatives to support underrepresented groups, such as mentorship programs (e.g., Magnify Mentoring), identity-based meetups, travel grants, hiring policies, and demographic-focused workshops at EA conferences.
Hiring and staffing strategies: EA organizations have tested strategies to improve diversity, including outreach to underrepresented candidates, anonymized applications, and emphasis on trial tasks over credentials, with mixed success in increasing representation.
Community discussions and research: There have been numerous EA Forum posts, studies, and internal discussions on diversity, particularly regarding gender balance, racial representation, and inclusivity in EA spaces. Some debates have been contentious, especially around racial justice and epistemics.
Demographic trends in EA (2014-2024): The EA community remains predominantly male, white, and left-leaning, but recent EA survey data indicates increasing gender and racial diversity, particularly among newer cohorts.
Challenges and impact: While diversity efforts have led to some progress, issues remain in retention, inclusivity, and balancing DEI initiatives with EA’s broader goals. Some initiatives have had limited impact or unclear long-term effects.
Future directions: Further research and community feedback may help refine DEI strategies, particularly around geographic diversity, retention of underrepresented groups, and inclusivity at EA events.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: This post provides a historical overview of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the Effective Altruism (EA) community, detailing key organizational initiatives, hiring practices, community discussions, and demographic trends over time.
Key points:
Organizational efforts (2015-2024): EA institutions have launched various initiatives to support underrepresented groups, such as mentorship programs (e.g., Magnify Mentoring), identity-based meetups, travel grants, hiring policies, and demographic-focused workshops at EA conferences.
Hiring and staffing strategies: EA organizations have tested strategies to improve diversity, including outreach to underrepresented candidates, anonymized applications, and emphasis on trial tasks over credentials, with mixed success in increasing representation.
Community discussions and research: There have been numerous EA Forum posts, studies, and internal discussions on diversity, particularly regarding gender balance, racial representation, and inclusivity in EA spaces. Some debates have been contentious, especially around racial justice and epistemics.
Demographic trends in EA (2014-2024): The EA community remains predominantly male, white, and left-leaning, but recent EA survey data indicates increasing gender and racial diversity, particularly among newer cohorts.
Challenges and impact: While diversity efforts have led to some progress, issues remain in retention, inclusivity, and balancing DEI initiatives with EA’s broader goals. Some initiatives have had limited impact or unclear long-term effects.
Future directions: Further research and community feedback may help refine DEI strategies, particularly around geographic diversity, retention of underrepresented groups, and inclusivity at EA events.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.