Omaha Community Foundation’s internal Equity Team has led conversations of racial equity guided by current events, created space for dialogue and learning, and contributed to the Foundation’s overall strategic planning process. The team understands that efforts to deepen understanding of racial equity and dismantling system of white supremacy are rooted by establishing new ways of decision making—at all levels of the Foundation.

The implementation of an internal Equity Filter allows Foundation staff and leadership to consider the following questions:

  • Who are the stakeholders impacted by the decision?
  • Whose perspectives are we missing?
  • Have we considered intersecting identities?
  • What are the unintended outcomes of this decision?

The filter will be used for decisions such as hiring or changing vendors, posting an employment opportunity, or developing a new grant program.

“I am excited to have something in place that holds us accountable as an organization and gives structure to new ways of thinking,” said Equity Team member, Juan Padilla.

Roll out of this filter comes after a year-long training guided by the Center for Equity and Inclusion from 2018 to 2019 and continued learning by the Equity Team.