News   |   Sign Up   |   A LEVER FOR SCALE

Equitable Policymaking

Acting on a commitment to center equity takes thoughtfulness and intentionality. When we rush to act, we can trigger unintentional consequences — or even exacerbate disparity. When working to center equity, it is important to develop and work from a purposeful framework.

Screenshot 2023-12-27 at 2.57.30 PM

Invisible Children, Invisible Families: A Blueprint for Supporting the Child Care Needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Families

Bipartisan Policy Center -- This report explores how historical trauma informs current tribal/state relationships in the U.S. and provides a blueprint for better supporting AI/AN families and children. The report also includes examples of promising policies to improve child care for AI/AN families across several states, including Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

equity footprint cover

Equity Footprint Framework for Foundations

Frontline Solutions -- The Equity Footprint framework report includes: Background and principles that led to the development of the framework, a description of each of the seven organizational domains, guiding questions in each domain to help leaders begin to assess their foundation’s footprint, and resources, lists of tools, and institutions for each domain, to support foundations in their implementation strategies.

Screenshot 2023-08-04 at 2.01.01 PM

Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit

Race Forward -- A Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REI) is a vital tool for analyzing how different racial and ethnic groups will likely be affected by a proposed action or decision. Use of an REI, such as this one, minimizes unanticipated adverse consequences in a variety of contexts, including the analysis of proposed policies, institutional practices, programs, plans and budgetary decisions. It also provides the opportunity to prevent institutional racism and identify new options to remedy long-standing inequities.(Summer 2023)

Screenshot 2023-08-04 at 1.57.35 PM

Awake to Woke to Work®: Building a Race Equity Culture™

Equity in the Center -- This publication is designed to serve as a reference to build and expand your organization's capacity to advance race equity. It outlines the need for building a Race Equity Culture in social sector organizations and introduces resources and strategies to help you move from commitment to action.. (Summer 2023)

Screenshot 2023-08-04 at 1.52.30 PM

Building Blocks for Change

Building Movement Project — This assessment tool for building more racially equitable nonprofit workplaces (available for purchase) can help an organization intentionally incorporate racial equity into its broader organizational strategic planning. The tool can anonymously capture and understand the experiences of everyone at the organization. (Summer 2023)

Collective Impact Thumbnail

Centering Equity in Collective Impact

Stanford Social Innovation Review — In the 10 years since their seminal SSIR article, Collective Impact, the authors have observed that the single greatest reason why collective impact efforts fall short is a failure to center equity. In this comprehensive follow-up, they redefine the concept of collective impact to include centering equity as a prerequisite and they prescribe a set of actions that must be practiced for the effective pursuit of collective impact. (Winter 2022)

antiracistpolicyreportcover

Anti-Racist Policymaking to Protect, Promote, and Preserve Black Families and Babies

Child Trends and the Equity Research Action Coalition —Policymakers can use a new resource from Child Trends and the Equity Research Action Coalition at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute to advance equity in policy and programs for Black families and babies. The Protect, Promote, Preserve Framework (the 3Ps) highlights policy approaches with the potential to protect Black families and babies from harm and trauma; promote their health, wealth, and educational access; and preserve their family units, cultural heritage, language, and positive racial identity. (November 2021)

Equity in Early Childhood Advocacy

Building the Advocacy Infrastructure to Win Equity Victories for Children and Families

Capita —This report outlines the major elements of an advocacy infrastructure that leaders at the local, state, or national levels need in order to mount comprehensive, sustained campaigns for equity. It calls on funders to support this capacity in their portfolios and give grantees flexible, sustained funding—enabling them to take action now, while also allowing them time to plan, build trust, coordinate, and align different elements. (February 2021)

CCDFandEquity

Opportunities to Advocate for Equitable Child Care Policies through the State CCDF Planning Process

CLASP —The three-year state planning process for federal Child Care and Development Funds offers states and stakeholders a unique opportunity to reflect on the persistent racial inequities and economic challenges in the field that have been exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessons they have learned through the policy response to date.(January 2021)

PrinciplesforPolicymakingCover

Principles for Anti-Racist Policymaking

Center for the Study of Social Policy — This one-pager outlines principles that can guide policymakers and advocates in developing and implementing anti-racist policy.(December 2020)

antircistpolicyplatformcover

What We Owe Young Children: An Anti-Racist Policy Platform for Early Childhood

Center for the Study of Social Policy — CSSP has published a policy agenda offers ten policy priorities for redressing structural racism as the root cause of inequities in early childhood outcomes. (December 2020)

AllianceEquityWebinarThumb01

Moving Toward Action: Strategies for State Advocates to Operationalize Racial Equity Principles

The Alliance for Early Success — On Juneteenth of 2020, we dedicated our National Issues>State Action call to operationalizing equity in state early childhood advocacy. The presentation included speakers from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the National Black Child Development Institute, and the Education Civil Rights Alliance. Click to see the recording or read a summary. (Alliance funded) (June 2020)

Screenshot 2023-05-17 at 2.19.58 PM

Compiled Reading List, Policy Areas

The Equity Leaders Action Network (2019)

CBPPToolkitThumb

Racial Equity Framework and Checklist

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities — This guide is designed to assist researchers in carrying out their work with a full-fledged racial equity lens. Specifically, this guide is designed to ensure that research products take a racial equity lens into account and to help analysts consider racial equity at every step of the research and paper-writing process. (December 2018)

GARE2016thumbnail

Racial Equity Toolkit: An Opportunity to Operationalize Equity

The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) — These racial equity tools are designed to integrate explicit consideration of racial equity in decisions, including policies, practices, programs, and budgets. Use of the racial equity tool in government can help to develop strategies and actions that reduce racial inequities and improve success for all groups. (December 2016)

aecf-RaceforResultsCaseStudy2-cover

Using Disaggregated Data to Inform Policies, Practices, and Decision-making

Annie E. Casey FoundationBy The Numbers: A Race for Results Case Study demonstrates how collecting and analyzing disaggregated race-based data can help leaders and communities effectively manage and allocate resources to help children and families. (March 2016)

AECF_EmbracingEquity7Steps-cover

Race Equity and Inclusion Action Guide: 7 Steps to Advance and Embed Race Equity and Inclusion Within Your Organization

Annie E. Casey Foundation — The key way to achieve social change in an organization is to incorporate race equity and inclusion at every stage of work. The seven steps in this guide provide a clear framework for organizations that work directly with systems, technical assistance providers, and communities. (January 2015)

NBCDIReportSampleCover

Being Black is Not a Risk Factor: A Strengths-Based Look at the State of the Black Child

The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) — NBCDI's State of the Black Child initiative can help advocates challenge the prevailing discourse about black children — one which overemphasizes limitations and deficits and does not draw upon the considerable strengths, assets, and resilience demonstrated by black children, families, and communities. Includes several state-specific reports. (Alliance funded) (October 2014)

“Too often, policies and programs are developed and implemented without thoughtful consideration of racial equity. When racial equity is not explicitly brought into operations and decision-making, racial inequities are likely to be perpetuated. Racial equity tools provide a structure for institutionalizing the consideration of racial equity.”

Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)