Lessons learned and strategies for workplace DEI efforts 

In recent years, many foundations and nonprofit organizations have implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. So, what does the data say about the impact of workplace DEI initiatives? This survey from the Building Movement Project offers an answer: 

The data is in: DEI strategies can benefit all. The article describes two key findings from the Race to Lead survey, conducted in 2022, about the impact DEI can have on the nonprofit workforce, especially people of color. First, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) respondents were more likely than white respondents to rate DEI strategies as effective. Second, the more DEI strategies an organization employed, the higher both BIPOC and white respondents rated their workplace experience. 

The articles below share insights into what organizations have learned in developing and implementing DEI efforts—not only among staff but in how they work. 

Lessons learned and strategies for workplace DEI at foundations 

Foundations are sometimes called out for shifting grantmaking programs toward equity without addressing the need for DEI initiatives in operations units, such as IT. The articles below highlight the need for and benefits of an organization-wide workplace DEI effort: 

Confessions of a former DEI skeptic. In a three-part series, Diane Headley Samuels, the Ford Foundation’s vice president and chief people officer, offers a deep dive into Ford’s workplace DEI journey. She starts with her personal DEI journey—from first facing discrimination as a student from Jamaica, to understanding how systemic bias kept people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other underrepresented groups from speaking up at work. At Ford, she’s helped improve systems, structures, and practices at an institutional level, going beyond redressing individual harms. 

To lead in DEI: Disrupting inequality requires disrupting culture. Headley Samuels’ second article emphasizes the role of organizational culture. Ford began by ensuring diverse candidate pools, incorporated a DEI lens in all HR initiatives, expanded that lens to ensuring equitable and inclusive structures—then created a dedicated workplace DEI program. Lessons learned from that process include: start with a thorough assessment, embrace growth opportunities that come with increased diversity, take a phased approach, and be transparent. 

Shifting power: How the Ford Foundation’s DEI commitment is transforming culture and impact. To close the series, Headley Samuels and Beth Rothenberg, senior director of strategy and learning, highlight how workplace DEI efforts have led not only to women and people of color holding more leadership positions but also to incorporating more inclusive policies and practices that benefit all staff; significantly increasing grantmaking and expanding operations and program areas; and advancing the mission of disrupting inequality across society. 

Why cultural reimagination must precede DEI initiatives. As Ford’s experience shows, organizational culture plays an essential role in advancing workplace DEI. This article argues that cultural reimagination—which requires “critical unlearning,” “bedrock-level alteration” of entrenched beliefs, and “endurance”—is a necessary pre-condition for workplace DEI. “The work of cultural reimagination ensures that no one moves forward without being abundantly clear as to why racial equity matters for others, but also for themselves,” author Rachel Wyley writes. 

Lessons learned and strategies for workplace DEI at nonprofits 

Grantmakers occupying positions of power may seem the logical place for DEI initiatives. But nonprofits and their work also benefit from workplace DEI. The articles below offer questions nonprofit staff might ask themselves,  

DEI starts with us. As we demand DEI from others, we need to do the same in our own communities, writes Valerie F. Leonard. Community-based organizations and initiatives need to ensure diversity not only of race and gender but also of “ideas and experiences.” They also need to ask: “Is there accountability to the community—transparency, with the ability for people to respectfully ask questions in a safe space without fear of reprisal?” 

Discomfort is the new black: Six ways nonprofit leaders can support their boards to become more inclusive and diverse. The data shows nonprofit boards are not diverse, especially at large organizations. This article outlines six ways nonprofit leaders can help create a more inclusive board. “Not until we are all in the room with a seat at the table, will we be able to fulfill our commitments to be change agents,” writes Christal Cherry. 

Beyond Pride Month: Fostering an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace. While much DEI talk centers race and gender, workplace DEI efforts need to include LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. This article outlines steps for building a sustainable LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace culture, including ensuring leadership buy-in and accountability, creating organizational infrastructure, and tracking progress and adjusting policies as needed. 

We hope these resources will be useful in thinking about workplace DEI efforts, whether at foundations, nonprofits, or individual initiatives.