The Communications Network (the association of grant maker communications people) has a dedicated website directed at how foundation and nonprofit communicators can improve racial equity through their work.
The site includes tools to craft relevant messaging that centers diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the results of the 2019 survey of DEI experts. Some of the findings:
- The terms “race” and “racism” rarely appear in organizational DEI definitions, even for organizations focused on justice and equity.
- Respondents rated their organizations’ staffs as more diverse than their boards, and their boards as more diverse than their senior leadership.
- Less than half (42%) of respondents said they had a strong understanding of DEI concepts.
- Over half (57%) saw the impacts of implicit bias present in social good communications.
- Almost half (46%) recognized unintentional reinforcement of stereotypes and an overall lack of understanding of what language should be used in racial equity messaging.
- About one-fifth (21%) of respondents said there was a lack of support for DEI initiatives within the organization.