How can I bring a DEI lens to my organization?

Talking about race can be difficult, especially discussing racial inequities. Many grantmakers find it challenging to approach these conversations in an effective and equitable way. The Race Matters Toolkit provides a comprehensive look at how race and equity directly impact foundation officials and program staff, community members and policymakers and advocates. It is designed to help you achieve results and produce equitable opportunities. For grantmakers, this toolkit provides helpful recommendations to assess your own organization and implement practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion across programs and staff.

Every organization has a different story and focus when advancing racial equity, and the advantage of this toolkit is that it provides pieces you can select to best match your goals and needs. The tools are also meant to be used at different stages of racial equity work. One of the first resources in this toolkit is a powerpoint designed to start the conversation on race and generate a shared understanding of how these disparities are supported by different policies and practices. This will help the discussion remain focused on ways to achieve equitable results and an introduction to additional resources. The analytic and communication tools highlight racial inequities and suggest ways to frame conversations to engage people and promote change for organizations looking to begin implementing policies. The results-driven method of this resource also makes it easier to communication information at all levels. Use this resource to challenge assumptions, evaluate your work and improve communication of racial equity efforts.