Upcoming Trainings

Presenters:

• Vernetta Walker, President and CEO of Walker & Associates Consulting, Inc.
• Dr. Robin Hindsman Stacia, President/Principal Consultant of Sage Consulting Network, Inc.

The social justice movement, COVID-19, and the current state of civil discourse have created a new sense of urgency in the nonprofit sector to understand and address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations are recognizing that they have not made demonstrable progress, and many are struggling with the question, “Where do we begin?”

This interactive, three-part series is designed to jumpstart your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. To make the most of our time together, there will be pre-work for each session, so that participants can deepen their personal journey and engage in constructive dialogue and planning, to advance the work at their organizations. Each session builds on the next – please plan to attend all 3 sessions! Bring multiple board members so that you can work together on evolving your organization.

Session Dates: December 4, 2020; December 16, 2020; January 13, 2021. All sessions are from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm.

This program is made possible thanks to the generous support of The Bunbury Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation

Session One – Reconciling Values Good Intentions, and Impact
In Part 1 of this 3-part workshop, we will first deconstruct why this moment in in time is different and the role of systemic racism. We will also lay a foundation for advancing your DEI work. This includes:

• Creating a safe space for conversations
• Discussing DEI constructs and developing shared vocabulary
• Exploring (among other things):
  • Privilege and identity
  • White Dominant culture
  • How unconscious bias shows up on your board and in your organization
  • Identifying challenges and opportunities that are mission specific.

Session Two – Reimagining and Deepening Impact
Armed with a better understanding of the current environment, this workshop will provide a process and tactical considerations for developing your plan of action. Along the way, we will ask questions and engage the audience in conversations about:

• What internal assumptions do we need to challenge?
• What is the role of the board of directors in setting the tone at the top?
• How do we identify guiding principles and priorities?
• How do we align board and staff on this journey?
• How do we center the voices of underrepresented communities?

Session Three – Taking Action
Grounded in best practices and research on DEI, this session will identify various levers and strategies, at the board and staff levels, for effecting change. We will set the stage for the ongoing nature of the DEI journey, with an eye toward how you can integrate DEI in the culture, processes and practices.
In this session, you will start identifying-for your organization-actions to integrate DEI across the organization. Areas of opportunity include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring programs are culturally responsive and applying a race equity lens
• Including underrepresented communities as stakeholders, leaders, and assets for the work
• Examining the budget as a reflection of organizational values and commitment to equity
• Prioritizing continuous improvement and learning for equity work