Appendix 11: List of Further Resources
Assessment Tools
Diversity Inclusion and Equity Assessment Tool
This tool was designed by the Michigan Non-Profit Association and it is a tool designed to help not-for-profit organizations assess their current status and future progress on the journey to make these values a reality. The assessment was developed with input from not-for-profit experts and practitioners, literature on best practices, and the collective experience of the framing partners. The project was piloted in 2016 and feedback from participating organizations was incorporated into the final product. Assessment scores provide a general indication of an organization’s current status. Interpretations should keep in mind that these are complex concepts and all organizations will move back and forth along a continuum of best practices. Costs range from $50 for an individual assessment to $300 for an organizational assessment.
Advancing the mission: Tools for equity, diversity and inclusion
This resource was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a US-based entity that focusses on the case study of their own foundation and their own equity, diversity and inclusion work. This toolkit offers encouragement to start where you can, and the hope that those efforts will persist until equity, diversity, and inclusion are all addressed as central to the work. This collection of tools is based on a case example of what one Foundation has undertaken and accomplished because of a growing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. As such, it is only one story — not a prescription. Here you’ll find a description of the concrete steps that have been taken, a little of the back story and challenges of the work, and some tools based on this example that can be adapted for your own organization, if you choose. This is complex work that can only benefit from learning and borrowing from one another.
Becoming allies to LGBTQ2I+ communities
This toolkit is designed with youth in mind and in addition to defining the concept of ally and differentiating between sex and gender, it expands on the importance of adopting inclusive language practices that we highlighted in Section 4.
Collaborating with Indigenous communities
Bâtir Ensemble: Les Peuples Autochtones dans les Métiers de la Construction. L’Alliance Autochtone
This resource was developed by the Canadian Building Trades Union. Although some of the content specifically addresses workplace practices, the principles that are suggested could easily be adopted by a Governance Board. It also includes a section on land acknowledgement that was addressed in Section 4 of this toolkit.
Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada : Appels à l’action
The Calls to Action were established as recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and were released in 2015. There were 94 Calls to Action divided into two categories: Legacy redressing the harms resulting from the Indian residential schools and Reconciliation to bring the federal and provincial governments and Indigenous nations of Canada into a reconciled state for the future.
Creating inclusive environments for all abilities/(dis)abilities
This toolkit was design by the Utah Conservation Corps to look at how to build an inclusive environment for all people, with all levels of abilities. Although the particular case of this toolkit is conservation, the approach and the considerations have a much wider application.
This toolkit was written by the Engineering Design Centre at the University of Cambridge and provides an overview of Universal Design and adaptations and considerations for creating environments that includes people with a wide range of needs.
This resource was compiled by the Centre of Excellence in Universal Design at the National Disability Association. This US based organization seeks to educate about and advocate for persons with (dis)abilities. This site defines Universal Design and its 7 Principles. It provides a history and international policy and legislation. It also includes a number of case studies and examples, illustrating benefits to organizations.
Supporting youth in governance
Youth Participation in Governance: Creating Youth Friendly Communities
This comprehensive resource was put together by the HeartWood Centre for Community Youth Development. It features a number of strategies for engaging youth in all areas of governance, including boards and a list of resources from across Canada.
Diversity in governance
Diversity in Governance: A Tool Kit for Nonprofit Boards
This is a resource that was developed by onBoard Canada and it is a companion to the Building Inclusive Governance Toolkit. This resource provides both a framework and assessment tools to look at building diversity into board governance.
Diversity on Non-Profit Boards
This resource is on the National Council of Non-Profits website which is a US based entity. It provides a great summary of the advantages of building diversity and incorporating principles of inclusion into not-for-profit governance.
Gender equity
This publication, put out by the Government of Western Australia, addresses both the benefits and challenges that women experience throughout the governance board experience. It builds the case for increased participation of women on boards through solid research and provides a number of suggestions about how women can position themselves to take leadership roles on governance boards in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds.
Racial equity
This resource provides a glossary of terms when discussing issues of race. It suggests that a common vocabulary is essential to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Words often have different meanings to different people, based on their experiences. The purpose of this glossary, which is a work in progress, is to help avoid such misunderstandings. Not everyone will agree on the definition of every word; but everyone should have a common understanding of how words are being used in particular circumstances.
Understanding power and privilege
Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege
This toolkit was designed by a Social Work Professor at the University of South Carolina for specific use with people working with not-for-profit organizations. Although the tool isn’t specifically designed with Board members and leadership in mind, it may be a resource that you can use to start your conversation.
Understanding the relationship between diversity, equity and inclusion
This tool was designed for individuals or groups who have participated in diversity or inclusion training. While people may come out of the training viewing what they have learned as good practice and/or the right thing to do, they may not be sure exactly what to do to support diversity and inclusion. This tool offers some specific suggestions.
A Place at the Table: Understanding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This short YouTube video addresses the relationship between Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Unconscious bias
Unconscious Bias and the Board
onBoard Canada has a number of online training modules that support board development. This particular training module available through their website, addresses the issue of unconscious bias and how it can be addressed in practical ways.
This short TedTalkX addresses unconscious bias. She encourages curiosity to recognize the “shortcuts” that happen in our minds — the ones we aren’t even aware of, which sometimes do not represent who we really are or who we want to be. Kristen shares a fast, free and impactful approach to test ourselves for unconscious bias: Mentally flip the person with whom you are dealing with someone else to test for potential bias.
Diversity: Not so black and white
Shakil Choudhury, a consultant in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion talks about unconscious bias with Steve Paikin of TVO’s The Agenda in a 25-minute interview. Note: the section on implicit or unconscious bias begins about five minutes into the interview, at -20:18.
Managing Unconscious Bias: Strategies to Manage Bias and Build More Diverse, Inclusive Organizations
This great resource looks at building strategies to both manage bias and build more diverse, inclusive organizations. It starts by defining the term and phenomenon of unconscious bias and then suggests how to begin the conversation within your board/organization.