Action Categories

Diversity Racial Equity and Inclusion (DREI) Working Group

Challenge

In the summer of 2019 NORC decided to greatly accelerate its efforts at DREI in our workplace by creating and implementing short and long-term strategies that ensure that we not only embrace racial diversity across the organization, but are also consistently equitable and inclusive as it relates to all things in the workplace and in the work that we do.

Actions

After an initial pause in investments due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the DREI working group whose charge was to develop core objectives for our DREI work and creating a process for accomplishing them.

Outcomes
  • Formed DREI Working Group consisting of Trustees, executive staff, and staff from throughout the organization, with an over representation of people of color
  • Developed 10 core DREI objectives for the organization and developed and RFP around the these objectives to hire expert DREI consultants to help us in formulating and implementing our short and long term strategies
  • Released the RFP to over 40 expert DREI consultants, reviewed initial statements of interest and seven proposals, ending in oral discussions with three finalist organizations
  • Hired a superb organization in September that has helped us launch a multi-phase, comprehensive DREI program at NORC. That work is ongoing and represents a $1.5M investment in 2021.
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