How do our staff identify?

Northwest Health Foundation believes that the staff of an organization should reflect the communities it serves. We also believe our cultural, linguistic and community identities make our organization stronger, smarter and more effective. These identities, whether constructed by social, political or other forces, unite us in working toward a healthy region for everyone. That's why we asked our staff to take an identity survey. We want to hold ourselves accountable for attracting and retaining a diverse staff team.

Note: The survey was optional, and staff opted out of any questions they preferred not to answer.

Updated: September 2023

Race and Ethnicity

NWHF staff identify as Asian, CARICOM, Croatian, Danish, German, Irish, Irish-American, Japanese, Latino, Latinx, Scottish.

Two staff members identify as Black, one as Chinese, five as white, and one as bi-racial Asian and white.

Language

One staff member speaks Mandarin, two staff members speak Spanish, and all nine staff members speak English.

Disability

Two staff members identify as disabled, mentally ill, chronically ill, neurodivergent and/or Deaf.

Geography

NWHF staff members were born in Bellevue, WA; Carson City, NV; Denver, CO; Mesa, AZ; Miami, FL; Portland, OR; Santa Clara, CA and Washington, DC.

They grew up in Carson City, NV; Fairview, OR; Littleton, CO; Miami, FL; Nevada; New York; Portland, OR; Spokane, WA; the suburbs; Thousand Oaks, CA; Washington, DC; Wisconsin.

They now live in Portland, OR.

Gender

Five staff members identify as women, three as men and one as nonbinary and transfeminine.

Five staff members use she/her pronouns, three use he/him pronouns and one uses they/them pronouns.

Sexual Orientation

Four staff members identify as heterosexual, two as queer, two as gay and one as gay or queer.

Age

One staff member was born in the 1960s, two in the 1970s, five in the 1980s and one in the 1990s.

Highest Level of Education

Eight staff members achieved undergraduate degrees. One has a master’s degree.

Highest level of education their parents’ obtained: one high school, four undergraduate, one master’s, two doctorate, one Ph.D.

Religious Affiliation

One staff member identifies as Catholic, one as an atheist, one as agnostic and five as unaffiliated.

Political Affiliation

Three staff members identify as Democrats, one as a reluctant Democrat, two as progressive, one as progressive left, one as independent and one as unaffiliated.

Household

One staff member lives with their partner and children, five live with a partner and no children (though some have pets, including tortoises!) and three live alone.

Six own the home they live in, three rent, and one of the four who rents also owns a rental property out of state.

Three staff members have used public assistance.

Eight use a car as their primary form of transportation; one uses a bike and public transit.

Other Identities

Daughter of an immigrant, child of immigrants, chronically ill, fat, survivor of domestic violence/sexual assault.