When they join, our members complete a brief company-level survey that establishes a baseline for their current practices and high-level metrics around diversity and community engagement. Members also receive complimentary access to Pluto, our advanced diversity and inclusion platform that empowers leaders to deploy internal staff-level surveys to their teams. These data, in conjunction with with an analysis of public VC data, is anonymized and rolled-up to create our annual reports.

The annual staff-level survey window is open from September to March each calendar year. During this flexible, 7-month window, our members can deploy our staff-level survey on Pluto whenever is best for their teams.

A common cause of “failure mode” for diversity and inclusion efforts is a lack of data – data about applicants, about staff teams, culture, and investments. By gathering annual data, our members and PledgeLA are modeling best practices that support data-driven goal setting and measurable results.

Beyond our accountability work, PledgeLA also connects civic, private sector, and non-profit partners to increase access to jobs and capital for underrepresented communities. In alignment with this effort, we provide our members with aligned community engagement experiences and vetted resources to help them set and achieve goals around diversity and social impact.

As part of our commitment to accountability, PledgeLA members agree to completing annual company/firm-level and staff-level surveys. To remain a member in good standing, organizations must complete both surveys by March 31 of each calendar year.

Additionally, each PledgeLA member receives a suite of core services worth ~$20k via Pluto, our diversity and equity platform, along with tailored support to set goals and improve outcomes around diversity and community engagement. Additionally, our members leverage connections to LA-based talent and service opportunities, access to exclusive events with other members, on-site workshops, and more.

Each of our members designate an internal survey administrator to manage their company and staff-level datas. Only this individual, and those whom they authorize have access to detailed survey data. While we encourage this data to be shared and discussed with staff teams, this is the prerogative of each member.

After becoming a member, organizations grant their permission to be listed on PledgeLA.org and other online and promotional materials. Once a part of our community, we encourage members to engage as best suits their unique needs and goals – from mentorship to volunteering to strategic planning resources, we are here to help! Reach out to [email protected] with questions.

Great question! In addition to detailed reporting of survey results, our platform Pluto uses an advanced algorithm to create personalized “Plans” to help leaders engage around the 2-3 most critical issues emerging from their data. Members are always welcome to reach out to PledgeLA for additional support.

PledgeLA never releases identifiable information about members or their teams in our annual reporting. Our reports are fully anonymous, and track high-level trends and patterns in LA’s tech and VC sectors.

PledgeLA’s commitment to member privacy is a core part of our commitment to accountability. PledgeLA will never share individual member data with other organizations or the public, and only publishes de-identified, anonymous data in our reporting. To protect individual staff-members at our member companies, our platform Pluto uses advanced data-security features, retaining no traceable information about users and employing unique algorithms to “mask” the results of individuals that might stand out on small teams. For more about our Pluto’s privacy features, click here.