Diversity, equity, and inclusiveness resources for nonprofits

Our aim, with this resource hub, is to help you build capacity for equity work internally and externally.

Correcting systemic racism and unconscious bias can’t happen without practical solutions, sustained practice, and every one of us – in each organization and across the sector – working together. It’s our hope that the information we’ve curated here can contribute meaningfully to your own efforts and, ultimately, to sector-wide progress.

We will be updating this page as we create and discover new resources, highlighting new entries in orange; last updated January 14, 2021.

 

Fundamentals

Comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, with tools / Racial Equity Tools Concepts, theories, and histories that contextualize how racism has been constructed, maintained, and countered. Includes links to data and resource lists.

Campaign for Equal Dignity / National Center for Civil and Human Rights Ongoing digital content and virtual event series covering racism and equity, historically and currently, from a wide range of angles (public health, education, housing, voting rights, philanthropy, etc.). Find the Campaign’s past event replays here and upcoming programs here.

Terms and concepts

Equity vs. equality and other racial justice definitions / The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Glossary of racial equity terms / W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Video: Systemic racism explained / act.tv (Duration 4:23)

Video: Privilege explained in a $100 race / Link Year (Duration 4:12)

Video: Jane Elliott on her “blue eyes/brown eyes exercise” and fighting racism / The Tonight Show (Duration 7:16)

History

History of racism and movements / Racial Equity Tools A contextual overview, with a timeline and links.

500 years of the racial wealth gap: A timeline / Living Cities Created to answer these three questions: What policies and events created and maintained the racial wealth gap? What efforts have been made to repair past harm? How have Black and white wealth and homeownership rates changed over time?

Data

Use the information at these links for putting together talking points, grant proposals, and other materials that demonstrate the need for racial equity work.

Data on demographics, issues, and attitudes / Racial Equity Tools Comprehensive collection of statistics related to population makeup and migration, particular issues (segregation, racial profiling, etc.), and opinions (both demographic- and issue-specific).

Inclusive recovery in U.S. cities / Urban Institute The first empirical analysis of how economic health and inclusion interact in U.S. cities over several decades.

COVID-19 cases, deaths, and testing / PolicyMap County-by-county infection and death rates, plus statewide rates by racial or ethnic group (use the drop-down menu to find “COVID-19 Racial Disparities”).

Hate Map: Georgia / Southern Poverty Law Center A map of hate groups across the state tracked by the SPLC.

Georgia maps and data / Neighborhood Nexus Customizable state map tool with hundreds of community and demographic indicators, plus dashboards for specific issues (COVID, commuting, population forecast) and factsheet-style “profiles” for individual localities.

 

Planning for changes

Moving Beyond Diversity Toward Racial Equity / Ben Hecht / Living Cities / Harvard Business Review A pracitcal overview of three practices required for achieving equity in an organization: understanding power, embracing conflict, and committing to long-term transformation.

Moving Racial Equity and Inclusion from the Periphery to the Center: Lessons from an Incomplete Project / Living Cities / Nonprofit Quarterly Advice from the staff perspective on planning an organizational shift toward equity. 

A comprehensive set of change management resources is available from Racial Equity Tools to help plan your actions on behalf of greater racial equity. Among the issues covered:

• Individual Transformation
• Leadership for Racial Equity
• Organization Change
• Community Change

The complexities of inclusive education: How cultural histories shape the way teachers respond to multiple forms of diversity / Capacity Building Network This guide to educating students inclusively is widely applicable for nonprofits that want to address marginalization among staff, beneficiaries, and other constituencies.

Survey template: Staff Racial Equity & Inclusion Competency / GCN A sample survey for assessing staff’s progress in building competencies for advancing racial equity.

 

Action templates and tools

Spatial Equity Data Tool / Urban Institute Mapping tool with data for measuring resource disparities in your city

• An Introduction to the Spatial Equity Data Tool Slides from a recent presentation by the Urban Institute, with a practical overview of the user experience, what the tool can (and can't) be used for, and sources for data. Further resources:
  • Introducing a Spacial Equity Data Tool (article)
  • Technical appendix
  • Sample data
  • Use case: Where to Prioritize Emergency Rental Assistance to Keep Renters in Their Homes
  • PolicyMap Mapping tool and data source
  • Justice Map Mapping tool and data source
  • City of Atlanta Open Data and Mapping Hub / Atlanta Regional Commission

Operationalizing Racial Equity & Inclusion at Living Cities: Tools for Getting Started and Keeping At It / Living Cities Resources that Living Cities recommends to those beginning their journey to center racial equity in policies, practices, and programs.

Embracing racial equity: 7 steps to advance and embed race equity and inclusion within your organization / Annie E. Casey Foundation

Racial equity action plans: A how-to manual / Government Alliance on Race & Equity A system-wide action planning tool aimed at cities, but easily adapted to any system or sector.

Action plan examples / Racial Equity Tools

The strategy section on Racial Equity Tools contains examples, evaluations, tools, frameworks, and other reports, broken down into 17 topic areas. Among them:

• Community Engagement
• Conflict Transformation and Restorative Justice
• Multicultural Competency
• Policy and Legislative Change
• Training and Popular Education

The communicating section on Racial Equity Tools contains resources for using communication to pursue racial equity.

Communications Guide / Government Alliance on Race & Equity Includes insight on messaging strategy, audience engagement, and storytelling, with “ready-to-go resources” and examples.

A path towards authentic community engagement / Living Cities Helpful overview of critical steps, approaches, and actions for effective community engagement around equity, with a downloadable checklist of guiding questions and an accompanying webinar.

 

Funding opportunities

For general reference and updates, see Candid's funding for racial equity page, which includes news, commentary, webinars, research, and top funders. (See also Candid’s “issue lab” page for race and policing and their dedicated site for black male achievement funding.)

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Active in Georgia, Kellogg counts “racial equity” among its 11 program areas.

Ford Foundation Having shifted its focus entirely to inequality, Ford has seven revamped priorities. Among them: civic engagement, racial justice, inclusive economies, youth opportunity, and free expression.

Healthcare Georgia Foundation Funding is directed to expand access to quality healthcare for the underserved, address health disparities, and strengthen nonprofits.

The Nathan Cummings Foundation Rooted in social justice, Cummings maintains a focus on racial and economic justice; their climate change program also provides support for the most vulnerable.

Proteus Fund The RISE Together program supports work in racial justice and human rights, click the link above to see a full list of issue areas, or click here to go directly to the RFP for RISE Together.

Bloomberg Philanthropies The Greenwood Initiative aims to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families via economic and social mobility. Unsolicited requests are not accepted.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation Especially active in Atlanta, Casey invests in racial equity through its Juvenile Justice program and (less explicitly) through its Economic Security and Community Change programs. Unsolicited requests are not accepted.

Aetna Foundation Special emphasis on health care equity and innovation in underserved communities; unsolicited requests are not accepted.

Surdna Foundation Focusing on social justice reform and inclusive economies; less active in Georgia than elsewhere; no unsolicited proposals will be accepted until summer 2021.

 

Curricula from GCN

Video recap: Strategies for eliminating bias / GCN A recent Nonprofit University class on the ways bias shows up in individuals and in nonprofits, and the tools we can use to correct for it and create a culture of inclusion. (Five clips, total duration approximately 42 minutes.)

Webinar: Tenant’s rights, public benefits, and your clients / Georgia Legal Services Program (Duration 1:11:43)

The value of difference: Leadership lessons on inclusion and equity / GCN Takeaways from a session titled Racial Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Your Role, part of GCN’s leadership development program for emerging sector leaders (now known as Emerge).

How Southface seeks to lead today’s market for talent / GCN What GCN member and consulting client Southface has learned by implementing a commitment to equity and transparency in pay ranges, pay increases, and promotion opportunities.

 

Inspiration

We didn’t just “wake up with a dream" / GCN A conversation with Congressman John Lewis (audio and text) about leadership, outreach, and action, conducted by GCN President & CEO Karen Beavor. 

Video: C.T. Vivian for the Voices Across the Color Line Oral History Project/ / Atlanta History Center The Civil Rights icon discusses his early experiences, the non-violence approach to resistance and change, race relations, leadership, and much more. (Duration 2:02:42)

Ten Years on the Right Path: Creating the Center for Civil and Human Rights / GCN Center for Civil and Human Rights CEO Doug Shipman discusses their long journey from idea to reality, with advice for leadership teams shepherding a change process in the face of great uncertainty.

Video series: Voices Across the Color Line Oral History / Atlanta History Center Including 34 interviews with Georgia activists, civil servants, and others regarding race relations, racial discrimination, and the fight for civil rights across the state and within its institutions.