Giving Compass' Take:

• John Harper at FSG explains how the organization utilizes three framing tools to have better outcomes when implementing racial equity work. 

• Although these are framing tools for foundations, they are informative for individual donors interested in pursuing racial equity work. 

•  Learn more about how donors can support racial equity.

Over the past few years, FSG has been on its own journey to bring a stronger equity focus to our work, both internally and externally. We have built, and continue to refine, an internal library of resources that support equity analysis with clients and partners. From disaggregating data that highlights disparities across demographic groups to sharing power with those most impacted by social challenges, we draw from the work of field leaders, partners, and friends. And we strive to apply these tools to each project.

We know, however, that analysis, pattern recognition, and insights on their own are insufficient. This analysis must be married with effective framing that builds buy-in and support across stakeholders, each likely at different stages on their own journey to understanding and embracing the concepts of equity. We are becoming intentional about how we pursue our analysis and insights and how we frame them.  We are beginning to ask ourselves, our clients, and our partners, how do we frame this work to maintain the productive engagement that advances outcomes and results?

The answer to this nuanced question is that it varies. Every organization is different, and as any transformation expert will attest, navigating unique organizational norms is critical to any change effort. Hence, I pose the question not to provide a simple solution, but to highlight the need for all of us to ask this question as a critical step on the path to equitable systems change.

As many of us across the field bring an equity analysis to our giving and problem-solving, how do we also build our understanding of ways to frame that analysis to build buy-in and support? FSG has started to find three framing tools particularly useful.

  • Adult Learning Theory
  • Targeted Universalism
  • Science of Human Development

A former teacher turned grantmaker helped jumpstart my thinking on how to get creative and flexible in framing issues of equity. Familiar with the story shared at the opening of this post, she talked about the desire for tools, similar to the ones she used as a math teacher, to maintain a productive struggle around issues of race and equity with her foundation leadership.

Read the full article about framing equity issues by John Harper at FSG.