How to Make a Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives That Survives Contact With Your CFO (Without Moral Arguments)

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0400

You’re in the quarterly review. You’ve just made the case for a robust diversity recruiting program, and the CFO leans forward with that polite, patient smile.

“And what does that actually buy us?”

Go on. It’s a fair question. And the worst thing you can do right now is flail toward a speech about fairness.

I’ve watched this scene play out in boardrooms for the better part of a decade. The exact moment the conversation turns from “should we?” to “show me why,” two types of advocates appear. The first type leads with moral urgency and the second type leads with data. The first fires off a list of grievances followed by a glowing promise of cultural transformation. The second opens a spreadsheet.

Organizational Performance on Rational America

How to Make a Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives That Survives Contact With Your CFO (Without Moral Arguments)