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Writer's pictureLori Noonan

Champion Equity Through Action: Integrating DEI Principles into Your CSR Grantmaking


Integrating DEI Principles into Your CSR Grantmaking

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grantmaking programs offer a powerful tool to create positive change in communities. To ensure true impact, that goes beyond lip service,  these programs must be built for and with the community on a foundation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). 

Diversifying Your Grantmaking Landscape:

  • Expanding Your Reach: Go beyond traditional fundraising channels to reach a broader range of non-profit organizations. Partner with organizations focused on the same goals your team has. While you can use online grant platforms that specialize in connecting funders with underrepresented nonprofits, you will only be scratching the surface. There are many nonprofits doing incredible work at the grassroots level that you won’t find through these services. Which brings us to our next point.

  • Community Connections: Actively connect with the communities you aim to serve through your CSR efforts. Connect with community forums or host listening sessions to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and priorities. Partner with local community leaders or advocacy groups to identify potential grantees that may not be on your radar. This strategy not only helps you discover diverse organizations but also allows you to build authentic partnerships rooted in community knowledge and do your best to mitigate the influence of your own biases.

  • Inclusive Language: Review your grant application materials to ensure they are inclusive and welcoming to organizations led by and serving diverse populations. Avoid jargon or overly technical language that might create barriers for smaller non-profits. When you’ve built those deep relationships with grantees, consider soliciting their experience through feedback. This is another great why that you can put CSR dollars to use, hiring the experts already in your next work at these organizations to partners in this area of your work.  

Ensuring Fairness in Grant Selection:

  • Diverse Review Panels: Assemble grant review committees that reflect the diversity of the communities your CSR program aims to support. Consider factors like race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic background, and disability when composing your review panel.

  • Unconscious Bias Training: Equip your grant review team with unconscious bias training to mitigate the influence of personal assumptions in the evaluation process. This training can help ensure all applications are judged fairly based on their merits.

  • Standardized Scoring Rubrics: Develop clear and standardized scoring rubrics to evaluate grant applications. This helps to ensure a consistent and objective review process, minimizing the potential for bias.

  • Scrubbing Grant Applications for Bias Cues: Before applications reach the review panel, implement a process to remove identifying information from grant applications, such as the organization's name, location, or leadership team members' names. This "scrubbing" can help mitigate the influence of unconscious bias based on an organization's background or reputation.

Promoting Equity in Grant Impact:

  • Grant Focus Areas Aligned with DEI: Consider establishing specific grant programs addressing racial equity, social justice, military families, or other issues disproportionately impacting marginalized communities.

  • Data Collection Considerations: Request data on the demographics of program beneficiaries from grantees. This allows you to track the impact of your grantmaking on diverse populations and identify any potential gaps that need to be addressed.

  • Capacity Building Support: Offer additional resources, such as training or technical assistance, to help grantees develop culturally competent programs that are inclusive and effective in serving all members of their target communities.

By integrating these strategies, your CSR grantmaking program can move beyond simply awarding funds and become a catalyst for positive social change. Remember, true equity goes beyond representation; it's about ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Let's work together to build a more inclusive and just future through thoughtful and impactful CSR grantmaking practices.

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