Bold Goal Strategy 3: Influence the Sector to Prioritize Talent, Equity, and Inclusion

By Martha Searby

Influence (v): to cause someone to change a behavior, belief, or opinion, or to cause something to be changed

In order to achieve ProInspire’s Bold Goal that social sector organizations have high performing leaders at all levels in order to fulfill their missions, we must go beyond the footprint of individuals and organizations we reach through our programs.  

The third strategy in support of our bold goal is to influence the sector to prioritize talent, equity, and inclusion. We believe that we can only achieve our Bold Goal if we develop a stronger talent ecosystem in the social sector. Activating on this belief requires us to reach outside of our organization and partner with individuals, organizations, and networks across the social sector in order to elevate the conversation around talent, diversity, and inclusion; evolve mindsets about the importance of each; and make talent investment a bigger priority.

In order to #BeBold and make progress, three key activities are required: we must educate, advocate, and collaborate.

What do we currently do?
ProInspire began focusing on influence activities in 2014. Our priorities to date have been:
Educate:

• In 2015, we published a report on the fellowship industry – Social Impact Fellowships: Building Talent in the Social Impact Sector.
• In 2015, we published a report on Millennials in the Nonprofit Sector, based on research from ProInspire alumni and partners. We followed this with an infographic based on the research, which offered a quick and informative takeaway to help nonprofit leaders understand this dynamic generation and harness its workforce potential.
• In 2016, we are serving as curation partner for Independent Sector’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Hub. By surveying the landscape, identifying key resources and best practices in this area, and sharing our insights on them, we supported organizations at all phases in their journey towards diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Advocate:

• In 2016, we authored an op-ed in February and an op-ed in August, both of which were published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. These pieces advocated on issues of racial equity and inclusion and offered actionable steps nonprofit leaders can take.
• We regularly present at multiple conferences on topics related to talent, diversity, and inclusion.

Collaborate:

• In 2016, we co-launched a nonprofit and philanthropic collaboration, Equity in the Center, a movement to create a more diverse and equitable social sector talent pipeline. Initial partners of this collaboration include ProInspire, AmeriCorps Alums, and Public Allies, with funding from American Express Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Packard Foundation.
• In 2016, we co-hosted the Impact Fellowships Summit, a first-ever gathering of managers, leaders, and funders of social impact fellowship programs to share best practices and forge relationships to strengthen our industry.

What have we learned?

• We cannot do this work alone. Collaborating with other organizations enables us to bring our expertise, learn from others, and amplify impact.
• It is important for us to be transparent, share our experience, and disseminate learnings more broadly within the field.
• We have a unique perspective of the talent ecosystem, given our role working directly with individuals, organizations, and foundations.
• We need to model how to have difficult conversations as a way of showing others that they are worth having in order to make progress.
• Organizations are eager to learn, share, and connect around issues of talent, diversity, and inclusion. We can play a role serving as a platform for knowledge sharing and connection.

How will we implement this strategy?
We will continue to expand our work to educate, advocate, and collaborate on these issues. We have a full agenda for 2017, including:

Educate:

• Developing tools to support social sector talent, including a Guide to Professional Development in the Social Sector and a Competency Model for Rising Social Sector Leaders.
• Leading the educate phase of Equity in the Center, including primary research; the publication of a comprehensive report on the state of DEI and tools and resources for creating a more inclusive organizational culture; and a full communications plan to disseminate it.

Advocate:

• Speaking and facilitating at sector conferences and forums to share the latest thinking, tools, and tactics around talent investment, diversity, and inclusion.

Collaborate:

• Expanding our collaboration with nonprofit and philanthropic partners as part of Equity in the Center, aligning organizations across the field towards this issue.
• Deepening our collaboration within the Impact Fellowships industry, including identifying ways in which the industry can leverage our individual strengths for collective gain.

We are ready to continue this work in order to elevate the importance of talent in the social sector, and we hope you’ll add your voice to the conversation.

Martha Searby is ProInspire’s Communications Director.