Working with Impacted Community Members to Drive Change

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” But do they have access to a fishing rod or a net? Do they have access to a body of water that has an ecosystem with a thriving fish population? Do they have the means to prepare the fish they may catch? A method to store the fish? This is equity vs. equality. Many organizations working with underserved, marginalized, and overlooked communities may begin with a mission and vision with equity as a goal but ultimately find themselves firmly in the equality camp. And companies are imploding left and right after staff document and share toxic environments.

It Makes Sense…

We see a problem so we want to find a how to solve the issue at hand as quickly as possible, but the larger question is how and why the delta initially formed and what systems are maintaining its existence. Easier said than done. Making meaningful change ultimately requires making lasting change; working with communities of people a bit more than working at communities to affect the positive change they need and desire.

Our Role as Guides and Not Auditors

We have been fortunate enough to work with clients ranging from a youth-focused non-profit working on a proactive EDI strategy to a staff-led committee for a corporation in the beginning stages of company-wide EDI development after an international merger. Despite the different environments that exist for these organizations we are consulting with, a few commons actions are necessary for them to do to make the most of the process of forming an actionable EDI plan.

What brings these two clients together in the way they are approaching change - a commitment to empowering impacted communities in the design of their own change. Both organizations are working with an EDI committee composed of stakeholders and not internal leaders. The corporation’s EDI Council has 10 staff from all over the country doing their own discovery and solution work. The Youth organization invited teenage participants, parents, and staff to participate in their own planning. This building a new table approach is critical to real change. Staff Leadership and Boards deserve training - impacted individuals deserve the power to create change.

Things You Can Do to Drive Equitable Change

• Empower your people: Ask for advice and reflections from your people. Engage them in their own solution design.

• Survey your Landscape: Where are you in the process? Is there an existing strategy? If so, when was the last time it was reviewed? If there isn’t one, do you know if you have the capacity to begin one? A quick racial equity statement without any meat behind it can create more harm than good.

• A Seat at the Table: Does the makeup of leadership reflect the makeup of those you are trying to serve? Do the staff/volunteers you recruit? Ensure those stakeholders are part of the process when making decisions that will affect them.

• Maintain a feedback loop. Change is a dynamic process and it is important to regularly collect and analyze the outcomes of your mission to improve upon the process.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! There is nothing wrong with realizing you may not have the full capacity to take the big step back necessary to get a full picture of ensuring those communities your organization works so hard to assist and uplift.

Digging down to the source in order to better conceptualize what will need to be done to reduce the barriers present, as well providing the requisite additional support means the person trying to fish may need to truly be able to feed themselves for a lifetime.