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Communications + Awareness Building

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Overview (Rationale)
Starting Point – Take Stock!
Strategies
Accelerated Strategies
Take Action & Track Progress

Determine Your Path Forward – Suggested Strategies

Use your score from the organizational assessment to select strategies from the list below that best fit your stage of data work, organizational and community context and capacity. Assuming that your United Way is already utilizing data to establish your impact goals, priorities, and strategies, the actions below will help more effectively integrate a specific equity lens:

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Focus on internal culture and capacity. By investing in the skills, capacities, and knowledge of United Way staff you will be more effective in developing the skills, capacities, and knowledge of others, ultimately driving external impact. For United Ways to act as advocates for equity it is important that staff, management, leadership and boards embody equitable practices, culture, and commitment. See DEI Toolkit for more information on how to accomplish this.

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Normalize conversations about inequity, structural racism and other forms of oppression.

Some specific examples include:

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  1. Utilize United Way’s role as a convener to create trusted spaces for these conversations.
  2. Add questions related to equity in your grant applications.
  3. Build the capacity of more than one or a few individuals inside of your United Way to ensure that that messaging is communicated consistently and frequently
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Create consistent messages about United Way’s commitment to equity. Leverage disaggregated data and connect to overall impact such as economic development, education, and health. Align community impact goals and strategies with clear language related to equity.

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Build the capacity of community partners to advocate for equity. Offer low and no-cost opportunities for organizational partners to receive training and skills-building. Be intentional about who is leading the training, what the outcomes are, and ensure that those outcomes are communicated clearly.

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Build partnerships with organizations that are explicitly addressing equity. Identify who is also focusing on equity and foster partnerships that align time, resources, and strategies to drive community-level awareness.

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Related Critical Success Factors (Modern United Way)
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  • Engage the Community in Solving Relevant Issues
  • Deliver Awesome Experiences
  • Best in Class Fundraising → Content → Digital Experiences→ Volunteer Opportunities