Working Tools and Resources

A third section of this Toolkit features a number of working tools and resources that emerged from the four foundation team's efforts to strengthen their current practices. For example, to assist your leadership team in developing strategies to move from dialogue and assessment to planning around core foundation functions, we have included a set of planning matrixes that were used by one of the LBE foundations that engaged in foundation-wide planning. You will also find examples of values statements developed by the four LBE foundations, community focus group questions used to strengthen donor development practices, brief summaries of training approaches used, due diligence forms, etc. Because they are based on actual foundation practice we believe these working tools should help to demystify a process that for some will seem ambiguous at times. As a result we believe these tools will prove to be invaluable to your efforts to embed diversity and equity practices into your own day to day work.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

In addition to getting a concrete picture of how one of the LBE foundations organized its data collection efforts in the beginning stages of their work, we believe that community foundation leaders will greatly appreciate the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's generosity in sharing the Executive Summary and Full Report of Community Focus Groups that were commissioned to inform planning for their Communities of Color Initiative. The two documents shared should be helpful to other community foundations that are searching for ways to diversify their donor bases. Finally, President Will Ginsberg's progress report (shared with other LBE foundation leaders in February 2003) will help other foundation leaders get a panoramic view of how participation in the LBE effort has impacted the thinking and direction of this foundation's top leader.

• CFGNHV Workplan 1st Cycle of Inquiry
• Oct 02 Exec Summary of Community Focus Groups
• Oct 02 Full Report of Community Focus Groups
• President Will Ginsberg's LBE Progress Report Feb 2003

The East Bay Community Foundation

The East Bay Community Foundation's LBE work closely resembled the broad organizational change model California Tomorrow proposed for the LBE Imitative. In essence, the foundation's LBE leaders have launched and sustained an organizational reflection and dialogue that has informed organization-wide learning, assessment, and planning. A result of their strategy to engage all staff and trustees, their initial strategic alignment efforts have resulted in both short-term and long-term goals and objectives for all aspects of the foundation. As this publication went to print, the foundation's LBE planning team was making plans to launch a 2nd cycle of dialogues, assessment, and planning to further embed their inclusion and equity values and objectives in the culture of the foundation. We believe that the materials and tools shared by EBCF's Home Team will be invaluable to those who also wish to use a foundation-wide approach to launch their diversity, inclusion, and equity work.

Organizing The Home Team's Work

• Workplan 1st Cycle of Inquiry
• EBCF LBE Flow Chart
• EBCF Home Team Orientation Meeting
• EBCF Home Team Ground Rules
• EBCF LBE Home Team Approaches
• Ed Porter Introduction to Emotional Intelligence for Home Team

Launching Foundation Wide Dialogue & Learning

• Agenda for All Foundation LBE Briefing
• EBCF Chair's Remarks at All Foundation Briefing
• Annotated Agenda for Break Out Discussions
• Summary Notes of Break Out Discussions
• Invitation to Emotional Intelligence Sessions for Staff & Trustees
• EBCF LBE Lending Library

Shifting to Assessment & Planning

• LBE Workplans for EBCF Committees
• EBCF Due Diligence Questions for Grant Making
• LBE Lens Questions for Prospective Banks
• 2nd Emotional Intelligence Session for Home Team
• Draft of Values Statement Approved by Home Team
• February 2003 LBE Progress Update (Diane Sanchez)
• President Mike Howe's Presentation to 2003 COF Conference

Second Foundation-Wide Cycle

• Draft LBE Workplan

Winston Salem Foundation

As their change story indicates, the Winston Salem Foundation's LBE Team worked to infuse the lessons learned from their participation in LBE Network meetings into their on-going efforts in the area of donor development and social capital. The copies of their LBE Data Collection Report and their working draft of a values statement should be a great assistance to those who are looking for working examples of what other community foundation's are doing to become more intentional in their diversity and inclusion efforts. In addition, the working tools the team has shared should be invaluable to other community foundation leaders who seek to reach out to a more diverse set of donors and those who seek to make greater impact with their grant making dollars.

• LBE Data Collection Report
• Draft Values Statement on Diversity & Inclusion

• Progress Report on AA Philanthropy Initiative
• 3rd Draft of AA Philanthropy Initiative's Vision & Mission
• Guiding Principles for AA Philanthropy Initiative
• Notes from AA Philanthropy Strategic Planning Retreat

• ECHO Council Plans

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation launched their LBE work through a foundation-wide process that engaged all staff in dialogue, assessment and planning to strengthen diversity, inclusion, and equity in all core functions of the foundation. This approach to foundation-wide change is possible when a foundation's president, vice president, and other senior staff empower others to examine current practices; and equally important, to propose and undertake new approaches. The "can do" approach GMF leaders took into this effort paid off with numerous short-term accomplishments and identification of long-term priorities for community leadership on matters of equity. As such, the tools and resources they have shared in this toolkit should prove invaluable to other foundation leaders who are ready to lead and implement change.

• Intro Memo for LBE Materials
• Next Steps Workplan
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• New Hiring Process (Approved 2004)
• Vendor Directory Excerpts
• Creating Inclusive Leaders Curriculum
• Milwaukee Poverty Study
• President's 2003 LBE Progress Report

Assessment of Progress in LBE Change Work

In this section of the Toolkit you will also find resources you can use in assessing your team's progress in the LBE organizational change process. Whenever possible we have included samples of written progress reports developed by the four LBE foundations. Because these documents were shared within the space of trust shared in the LBE Network we view them as precious gifts to others in the community foundation field. And, we ask that those who draw on them treat the reports as learning tools for internal foundation conversations (and not external distribution).

• Early Progress Assessment Tool (first six months)
• LBE Progress Report (1.5 Years Out)
• Journey Map of LBE Experience (2+ Years Out)

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