Equity Journey

March 2018

UWGT identifies Equity in Leadership as a strategic pillar and creates 10 To Watch program

The organization’s final investment pillars, presented by staff and approved by the Board of Directors, will guide the shape of investments and partnerships in the future.
As part of its commitment to Equity in Leadership, UWGT commits to track and share racial and gender demographic data of internal and partner organization boards, executive leadership, and staff.
A re-examination of the organization’s funding portfolio shows:
- 80% of people served are POC but less than 20% of nonprofits are led by POC.
- Male-led organizations hold 3x the assets of female-led organizations.
These disparities lead to the creation of 10 to Watch, which promises:
- Specific funds for nonprofit leaders who are Black, LatinX, and/or Woman ($500K total investment over two years)
Provides dollars, leadership development training, and access to UWGT networks

January 2019

With a focus on equity and justice to provide solutions to immediate needs as well as the long-term funding needed for systemic change, the re-imagination includes these key changes:
- UWGT pivots to creating and utilizing community-defined measures of nonprofit success
- Explicit equity and anti-racism questions are added into end-of-year reporting (and not just related to outcomes)

June 2019

With external support processes in place, UWGT begins shifting its internal habits to become more equity-focused. This includes:
- The decision to prioritize community-owned narratives in storytelling
- Conducting representation audits of the organization’s own materials and processes (including visibility in marketing materials/ website, tracking nonprofit partner engagement)

January 2020

The re-activation of this emergency response fund ensures that:
- Displaced community representatives have a role in the decision-making process for funding
- Funding is based on community need, services delivered, and displaced community engagement

March 2020

UWGT believes that to truly be an equitable organization, we must focus our efforts internally and externally. As part of this process, esteemed consulting firm Frontline Solutions begins the organization’s internal and comprehensive equity assessment, which includes:
- Facilitated racial identity caucusing
- Ongoing coaching and support
- Board DEI development

March 2020

The activation of this Triangle-wide emergency response fund includes:
- Multiple rounds of funding to ensure investments are in the most relevant areas and representing the most pressing community needs
- Service to POC communities is prioritized based on disproportionate impact data
- POC-led organizations are prioritized
- The public communication of the number of grants awarded as well as the average grant award aggregated by leadership’s race

August 2020

This represents an evolution of UWGT’s Equity work. With a commitment to fighting for justice through action, community empowerment, and the dismantling of systems that perpetuate racism and keep our neighbors in poverty, the fund intends to:
- Empower and fund local grassroots leaders
- Invest in scalable, systems-aiming anti-racism work
- Increase the operational and service capacities of nonprofit/for-profit sectors to be anti-racist
- Lead as a narrative campaign, not just a fundraising campaign