Orange County Grantmakers

What’s in a Name? DEI’s Impact Versus Branding

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By Taryn Palumbo

Diversity, equity, and inclusion, known as DEI, has become a lightning rod across all sectors. As corporations, academic institutions, and other public and private entities face increasing scrutiny in today’s landscape, the future of many of these programs is uncertain. 

From deleting DEI language on websites to eliminating diversity hiring goals, businesses across the country have publicly walked back their policies. But despite the acronym becoming politically charged, many companies still continue their commitments to creating a more equitable workplace. Language has begun to evolve, with phrases like “opportunity” and “belonging” rolling out as anti-DEI sentiment escalates. Initiatives are being rebranded, and a focus is being placed on inclusion and culture rather than diversity. 

So, call it what you want—it’s not the name that matters. It’s about doing the work to ensure that programs that address social and economic disparities do not fall through the cracks. Wherever companies have landed in this space, for whatever reason, it’s the impact that counts. Here’s how we can continue this critical work in today’s divisive climate: 

DEI 2.0 

At a time where diversity in higher education is under attack, many universities are charging forward. In April, Harvard University rejected a deal that would eliminate DEI initiatives and begin screening international students for ideological concerns. In doing so, it put nearly $9 billion in federal funding at risk, including more than #2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts that were frozen by the administration on April 15. 

While it’s the most recent to make headlines, it’s not the only elite institution to affirm its commitment to inclusion and belonging. Here in California, five of nine UC undergraduate campuses are currently designated as Hispanic-serving institutions. Eight are Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions. These designations not only prepare a more diverse student body for the state’s economy and workforce, but also contribute to the economic and social well-being of the state. 

And they work—according to a 2019 overview of 10 years of enrollment data, Latinx undergrads comprise 24.8% of all UC undergraduate enrollment, an 89.8% increase from fall 2009. In 2020, Latinx students were the largest group of Californians admitted to UC schools for the fall academic term, a critical turning point in the history of the system and a step closer to reflecting the changing demographics in an increasingly divers and global society. 

New Name, Same Commitment

While some organizations are able to continue their DEI efforts unfettered, the reality is that most are at a crossroads. A 2025 survey conducted by Resume.org showed that one in eight companies are eliminating or reducing DEI programs in 2025, citing the political climate as the prevailing reason. 

Yet, this isn’t the end of DEI—because under a different name, it just might live on. Take Google, which recently scrapped diversity hiring targets following executive orders. Despite this shift, it continues to support employee-led networks that focus on specific affinity groups such as Black Googler Network and Trans at Google. 

At a time where corporations are coming under pressure, a change in name may be the only way to ensure such programs can continue. There’s historical precedent for this transition, too. In the 1960s, following the civil rights movement, we saw the emergence of terminology like “affirmative action,” which blossomed into a broader concept of DEI as we know it. 

No matter what they call it, we need every company and academic institution to continue to uphold the inherent meaning and intention behind DEI—an effort to provide equal opportunity of access to everyone. 

As demographics continue shift, this need is more urgent than ever. And this shift is not just limited to big cities. In February, Orange County Grantmakers (OCG) released an updated 2025 Equity Profile that highlights the Southern California county as the 20th most diverse among the 150 largest regions in the U.S. Of the 3.2 million residents, the majority (62 percent) are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), a drastic shift from the 22 percent that called Orange County home in 1980. Yet, despite a diverse population and a strong economy, Orange County still faces inequities in areas including housing, income, health, and more. 

Addressing racial disparities yields benefits not just for individuals, but for the entire economy. If racial income gaps did not exist, the report projects that Orange County’s economy would have been $97.4 billion stronger in 2022. 

This data is driving forward the work of businesses and institutions in Orange County. They continue to persevere in every way they can by participating in conversations and convenings that advance our shared understanding of equity with the goal of addressing the root causes of homelessness, health care inefficiencies, wage and employment gaps, and more. 

Because at the end of the day, DEI is about more than just words or a name—it’s about taking action. And regardless of what your organization calls it, we need to create room for individuals to thrive by continuing training, hiring practices, support services, and other programs through initiatives that are bridging cultural differences and building a workforce that’s truly representative of our world.

More To Explore

How do we build a compassionate and inclusive America in an age of distrust? WAJAHAT ALI knows from personal experience that when we come together to be the superheroes of our own stories, we can create honest social change. The beloved TED speaker has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic about our urgent issues—immigration, politics, parenthood—with boldness, hope, and humor. His memoir Go Back to Where You Came From, one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year, follows his life as a Muslim Pakistani-American on a surprising, emotional, and challenging quest for the good life. Iconic journalist Katie Couric says that “we are all so fortunate to be on the receiving end of his intellect, his humanity, and his heart.”

Wajahat Ali

“With wit and charm, Ali delivers a masterful meditation on growing up brown in America...he gives us a clear-eyed affirmation of the country America could be.” — Mara Gay, New York Times

Mara Gay, New York Times

Wajahat Ali uses his platform to fight tirelessly for the social change we need in our country—and he isn’t afraid to get personal while doing it. The Daily Beast columnist and former New York Times writer, TED speaker, award-winning playwright, and Peabody-nominated producer of the documentary series The Secret Life of Muslims offers us his experiences of triumph over hardship as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of life’s impossible situations. From his experiences of Islamophobia growing up as a Muslim Pakistani-American to his two-year-old daughter’s liver cancer diagnosis, Wajahat is living proof that when we share our authentic stories, we build the America we wish to live in.”

In his memoir Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, Wajahat teaches us how to create our own superhero origin story, invest in hope for the future of America, and enact real social change. The book was called “biting and funny and full of heart” by NPR. Representative Ilhan Omar called Wajahat’s work “hilarious” and “deeply moving”, and legendary writer Dave Eggers said it was the book he’d “been hoping Wajahat Ali would write for ten years—hilarious, stylistically fearless, deeply humane.”

Wajahat is also the author of The Domestic Crusaders—the first major play about Muslim-Americans in a post-9/11 world. He was the lead researcher and author for the Center for American Progress’s seminal report “Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” and served as a national correspondent for Al Jazeera America, where he told stories about communities and individuals often marginalized or under-reported in mainstream media.

As Creative Director of Affinis Wajahat Labs, he worked to create social entrepreneurship initiatives to support and uplift marginalized communities. He also worked with the US State Department to design and implement the “Generation Change” leadership program to empower young social entrepreneurs. Wajahat initiated chapters in eight countries, including Pakistan and Singapore. For his work, he was honored as a “Generation Change Leader” by Sec. of State Clinton and recognized as an “Emerging Muslim American Artist” by the Muslim Public Affairs Council. 

He has given keynote speeches around the world such as TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival. His writing appears regularly in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. He’s a Senior Fellow at The Western States Center and Auburn Seminary and co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream.