System-shapers
Before looking at some of the ways in which charity leaders and charities can become more engaged and resolute in pursuit of DEI culture, we consider the role of system-shapers. These funders, regulators, membership and infrastructure bodies, and recruiters influence the conditions for DEI and the pursuit of race equity in the charity sector.
Our engagement with the system-shapers took place in the form of a single roundtable. The roundtable explored how they can utilise their power to influence culture as a lever for change.
As with the charity leaders, the group recognised the problem of a lack of DEI in the sector and expressed a desire to change. As with the charity leaders, they were not sure how to achieve it, and there was some fear about getting it wrong with “explosive” and negative impacts for them and their organisations, including damage to personal reputation and the risk of online abuse and high-profile press criticism.
The group accepted that many white leaders simply don’t know how to discuss ‘race’, inequity or inclusion and that this lack of understanding generates fear, failure to speak out and inaction. Again, as was the case with charity leaders who expressed anxiety in dealing with ‘race’ and racism, we take these feelings on board. But, as with the leaders, such emotions need to be examined deeply, and there are strategies of co-design and co-working that can help to manage risk, diminish fear and avoid paralysis.
More positively, all roundtable attendees were able to articulate some elements of a vision of a ‘DEI-forward’ charity sector. Among the most interesting of these elements was a sector where: (a) individuals with ‘protected characteristics’ are asked to speak not about their so-called diversity, but about their role and expertise; (b) BAME-led specialist organisations are strong; (c) BAME people inside the charity sector overwhelmingly have positive experiences and a sense of belonging; and (d) racial justice is integral to the mission of the charity.
In view of their climate-making role, we asked system-shapers to consider the enabling conditions required for the charity sector to develop more of a DEI culture. Among the ideas to emerge were that people in the charity sector itself need to be more self-aware and recognise that the sector’s persona of being
‘good people’ is not enough to deliver DEI. The sector needs to challenge itself to do better. The group spoke at length about difficulties enforcing such change but also the importance of charitable organisations and leaders being held accountable for progress – including consequences if they fall short on DEI.
There was some debate about regulation as a way of ensuring accountability. Suggestions included a requirement for reporting on DEI in the charity statement of recommended practice (SORP) or some form of DEI league table encouraging comparison and aspiration. There was no consensus on whether further regulation should be adopted, or about what kind of regulation if so – but there was agreement on the need to dismantle the charity sector culture of doing very little on DEI and being able to ‘lie low’ on the issue.
There was also some discussion in the group about how to dismantle power structures that favour white people. System-shapers were keen that the sector should engage in ongoing, direct conversations on the problem of ‘race’ and DEI at this deep level. Practical ideas for doing so included ‘reverse mentoring’, where junior BAME team members are paired with senior charity leaders to guide the latter on DEI (Jordan and Sorrell, 2019). Funders also wanted to more actively understand, support and improve DEI within the charities they fund. And they also expect those they fund to hold funders to account on their record on DEI.
It is worth noting that the vision and desired future described by system-shapers does not contain the equivalent of the ‘radical’ edge articulated by racial justice activists and advocates in the project’s other roundtable (see Section 2). This is not surprising.
In the latter more attention was paid to issues underpinning DEI deficits and racism, including how whiteness is positioned; moving away from ideas that race equity is about saving BAME people; and the transformation of the work that charities do in the outside world. System-shapers and advocates and activists for racial justice think about DEI differently, and they focus on racism and anti-racism differently too. That said, though there are fundamental differences, the conversations in the two roundtables did mark out overlapping interests.
Most prominent in that overlap is that system-shapers stated clearly that the status quo will not do. They want the charity sector to highlight the inequalities around us and to offer solutions to them, rather than perpetuate these disparities through DEI inaction.
The way ahead
Overall, charity leaders and system-shapers in the charity sector understand the DEI deficit as a problem. Both groups expressed an appetite for change, but the culture required for making that change is not yet present.
Ways forward include further engagement in issues of ‘race’ and racism and DEI – including working with BAME specialists. There is reflective work that white charity sector leaders – including system-shapers – need to do for themselves to understand what may lie beneath fear around this topic. They need to understand whether the fear is first and foremost about getting things wrong. It may be that there are some deeper anxieties – not about getting things wrong but about getting them ‘right’, because if meaningful moves are made on DEI this will represent fundamental change in the charity sector. And change may be disruptive to people currently well placed in the sector – including some of those who have engaged with this project.
It is important that fear, whatever its source, does not become a reason or excuse to keep things as they are. The status quo – as set out above in Section 2 – can cause serious harm to BAME people who do get inside charities, as well as excluding BAME people who might otherwise be in the charity sector. Ending these real-life harms must outweigh the risk of the honest mistakes that will inevitably be part of trying to make things meaningfully better. As one charity leader put it:
I mean, if we’re about social justice, if we’re about working with more marginalised communities, then not being racially diverse is … just not acceptable.
Interview – white charity leader
Next, we turn to three aspects of the charity sector where improvements might address some of the impediments identified in (the foreground or background of) this discussion about the charity landscape and DEI culture. These aspects are engaging with racism, getting past paternalism and improving accountability.
