Building Equity & Opportunity
Inequities hurt everyone, United Way of Washtenaw County is focusing on removing barriers and increasing access so all people have the opportunity to thrive.
In 2017, we committed to equity as a core value and practice to advance our mission. We define equity as the presence of justice and fairness within our procedures, processes, and distribution of resources.
In all our roles we will consciously work to eliminate injustice and inequity. We aspire to live in a community where:
- Community members seek understanding and awareness using their own power and privilege and actively working to end poverty in our County;
- Your zip code no longer determines your opportunity in life;
- The academic achievement gap is eliminated;
- Everyone in our community has a home;
- Life expectancy is the same across all populations and communities in our County;
- Poverty is not generational. If it exists, it is intermittent and brief;
- Everyone in our County is able to thrive and meet their needs-- housing, food, transportation, education, health expenses and childcare.
Build Your Equity Muscle
The resources below are helping us learn and understand how to intentionally focus on equity in all of our work. We invite you to explore these links to build your "equity muscle" and learn with us.
Assessments:
- Implicit Association Test: Take this free test from Harvard University and learn more about your personal levels of unconscious bias
- Bias Cleanse: MTV’s Look Different campaign is here to help open your eyes to hidden biases
Tools:
- The Equity Manifesto, PolicyLink
- Resource Guide: Diversity, Inclusion, Implicit Bias & More, compiled by Nonprofit Enterprise at Work
- 10 Lessons for Taking Leadership on Racial Equity, The Aspen Institute
- 7 Steps to Advance and Embed Racial Equity, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Staff Core Competencies to Achieve Racial Equity, Center for the Study of Social Policy
- The Social Justice Action Continuum, Step Up! Facilitator Guide
- Identifying Institutional Racism Folio, Seattle Human Service Coalition
- Assessing Institutional Racism, Dismantling Racism project at Western States Center
- Awake to Work to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, Equity in the Center, a project of ProInspire
Publications and Data:
- The Business Case for Racial Equity in Michigan, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity, PolicyLink
- Right Side Up: One pager on wealth inequality in the U.S., Prosperity Now
- The Road to Zero Wealth: How the racial wealth divide is hollowing out the middle class, Prosperity Now
- Bridging the Racial Generation Gap is the Key to America’s Economic Future, PolicyLink
- Washtenaw Opportunity Index: a tool to benchmark opportunity in the community. The Index utilizes five key data sources to “map” equity and opportunity in Washtenaw County: health, education, job access, economic vitality, and neighborhood safety and stability.
- National Equity Atlas: data to build an equitable economy
- The Opportunity Atlas: See where and for whom opportunity has been missing, and develop local solutions to help more children rise out of poverty.
Find more data, reports, and resources on our Data Portal.
