Putting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI-B) into Practice

This two-session virtual workshop will help us move our local United Way organizations forward as leaders in making our communities more equitable so that everyone has opportunity to succeed. This is the sweet spot for advancing the common good across the Pacific NorthWest!  This workshop is designed for local United Way Board Members and Staff, with the focus on volunteer leaders.

Session ONE: Traveling This Road Together- 12-2 PM PST

Session Two: Trust Based Grant Making: Maximizing Equity in Your Community Investments 2-3 PM PST

Session One: Traveling This Road Together

Facilitator: Robyn Y. Davis, J.D.- Robyn is the Founder & President of The Valiant Leader and the President & CEO of Brown County United Way, in Green Bay Wisconsin. Find out more about Robyn here.

For too many individuals and families, access to a better life remains elusive. To achieve our vision, we must understand and address the underlying factors that impede progress. By challenging practices based on racism, sexism, and other historical and current forms of discrimination, we can create more inclusive communities and equitable outcomes. We must be a leader in the fight for equity and strive to create communities where everyone has the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive." Copy of Foreword | United Way Equity Framework. This quote from the foreword of the United Way Equity Framework, encourages us to embark upon the journey of turning dialogue into action.  But where do you start? You may have heard the phrase “this is a marathon and not a sprint.”

While it is comforting to understand that the journey towards becoming an equitable organization will not be achieved overnight, the notion of running a marathon can still be daunting. ERC invites you to attend a two-part series, “Traveling This Road Together.” Using the metaphor of a marathon, we will introduce you to the concepts, tools, and resources to help you prepare, run, and cross the finish line both individually and organizationally.

Part I will explore the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and understand unconscious bias and its impact on your personal growth and professional success.

Part II will offer practical ideas and resources on how to help your organization “get out of the blocks”, continue with purpose and finish strong.

Session Two: Trust Based Grant Making: Maximizing Equity in Your Community Investments

Facilitators: Lindsay Fox and Rodney Prunty. Lindsay is the President and CEO of United Way Fresno and Madera Counties (UWFMC), and the Chair of the California Volunteer Commission, find out more about Lindsay here. Rodney is President & CEO of United Way of Central New Mexico (UWCNM), find out more about Rodney here.

Lindsay & Rodney will share their experiences of moving their impact agendas towards equity and all that goes along with that. Both are moving their communities in new and different directions and their work embodies this quote from TrustBasedPhilanthropy.org:

“As grantmakers, we have a responsibility to confront the ways our sector has contributed to systemic inequities, both in the ways wealth is accumulated and in the ways its dissemination is controlled. This history is entrenched in racism, patriarchy, and other forms of oppression, which are at the root of every social issue nonprofits seek to address. As funders, we must recognize how these norms have shaped, informed, and influenced our entire sector—including who is deemed trustworthy, and who is not.”

Lindsay will share the journey of using impact work to build wealth for communities of color. After seeing the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the Central Valley and the rest of the country, as well as watching the push for social and economic justice rise to the forefront of the American consciousness in recent months, we are doubling down on our commitment to help improve the radical wealth, health, and educational disparities that have been negatively impacting our Communities of Color for far too long. One of the ways we’re doing this is through our new Prosperity Coaching model- an innovative, long-term approach designed to teach people how to grow and invest wealth from where, before, there was nothing.

Rodney will tell the story of DEI United. DEI United is a partnership between UWCNM and the Albuquerque Community Foundation created to support, fund, and advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices in the five counties each organization serves. DEI United identifies short- and long-term practices and solutions to help foster change leading to more equitable, racially just, and sustainable solutions for systemic change within our central NM community.

Both Sessions will be moderated by Jim Cooper, President & CEO of United Ways on the Pacific Northwest.