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July 2021

Investing in Grassroots Organizing for Racial and Health Equity: A Case Study and Recommendations for Funders

Overview

Creating healthy and sustainable communities of opportunity requires changing systems and structures to center the priorities and well-being of low-income communities of color. This report chronicles the story of how the Convergence Partnership, after more than 10 years into its tenure, learned to lean into the leadership of local advocates and embrace the power of grassroots organizing. It illustrates how a small and “risky” investment in an early-stage organizing effort supported the priorities and needs of low-income people and communities of color across California. Drawing from a series of interviews with equity advocates and organizers in California, as well as affiliated funders with deep experience in supporting grassroots advocacy, this report includes recommendations for other funders seeking ways to strategically advance health equity through policy and environmental change. Download the report.

Create Your Own Data Viz with New Indicators on the Racial Equity Data Lab

Dear Atlas users,

Even as stay-at-home ordinances end and businesses reopen, communities across the country continue to struggle with the health and economic impacts of Covid-19. With nearly 9.5 million people still unemployed, targeted solutions for those most impacted by the pandemic are as crucial as ever. The Atlas team is focused on supporting advocates to advance an equitable recovery and shared prosperity. Here are a few updates:

New Ready-to-use Tableau Workbooks on the Racial Equity Data Lab

We’re excited to announce the addition of four new Tableau-ready datasets on the Racial Equity Data Lab: Poverty, Car Access, Working Poor, and Educational Attainment. Each workbook has built-in features that allow you to access and explore Atlas data in Tableau Public, customize your own data charts, and create a Tableau dashboard or factsheet for your community. Visit the Lab to learn how to access Tableau Public for free, check out our gallery, and explore resources to help you craft your own equity data visualizations. Stay tuned for additional tools and updates from the Lab!

Updated Rent Debt Dashboard Supports State and Local Efforts to Protect Covid Impacted Renters

Last week, we released new national and local data on our Rent Debt Dashboard, produced in partnership with with Right to the City Alliance. As of the beginning of June, 5.8 million renters — overwhelmingly low-income households of color who have recently lost employment — owe more than $20 billion in back rent. With the federal eviction moratorium scheduled to expire at the end of July, clearing this debt is urgently needed to prevent an eviction crisis and make equitable recovery possible. See the data for your community on the dashboard and check out our updated analysis.

In the News

Dozens of news sources covered our Rent Debt Dashboard this month, including San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, ABC News, NBC News, Mercury News, BET, KQED, and more. Augusta Chronicle, Journal of Olympia, Lacet, and Tumwater, and St. Louis American lifted up findings from Atlas indicators. Finally, SF Public Press highlighted findings from our report on California rental assistance, produced in partnership with BARHII and Housing Now. See a full list of media coverage here.

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

June 2021: Moving from Intention to Impact: Funding Racial Equity to Win

Overview

Moving from Intention to Impact: Funding Racial Equity to Win, a joint PolicyLink-Bridgespan study analyzes the state of funding for racial equity work. Among a host of important findings, the report offers two key takeaways to funders who want to be generative members of the racial equity ecosystem. First, accountability, a necessity of racial equity work, is impossible without rigorous and transparent reporting. Second, funders must trust and defer to the articulated needs of movement leaders and fund the work that movement leaders say is needed to achieve enduring change. 

Informed by the expertise of movement leaders on the frontlines of this work, this report shares what we’ve learned about funders’ intentions to contribute toward racial equity, and what it will take to move from intention to enduring impact.

Even though lack of reporting makes it relatively impossible to know the true comparison of pledges to deployed capital, our executive summary details three key equity funding concerns that would exist even if all the money pledged were to be deployed:

  • The money may not be going to the full range of work that is needed to support transformative change. There needs to be an intentional focus to ensure that funding is directed with the long game in mind, toward initiatives that address the root causes of inequity, not just the immediate problem at hand.

  • The money is insufficient to address the historic undercapitalization of organizations doing racial equity work, which are largely led by people of color and focused on systems change.

  • The money will disappear. Concerns run high that 2020 was an anomaly, with interest in racial equity energized by a perfect storm generated by the murder of George Floyd and others and a global pandemic — a combination that hopefully will not be replicated.

Strong institutions that have been driving this work, even when funding is scarce, are inviting philanthropy into a conversation about how we aggregate capital, the types of results we want to see, and how to effectively deploy capital to achieve those results. This conversation can foster a relationship between frontline movement leaders and funders that makes it possible to truly win on equity. Funders ready to join in this way can learn how in our action guide.

July 2021

We Stand For Prevention And Equity

Overview

We Stand for Prevention and Equity is a declaration of the Partnership’s commitment to prevention and equity — just and fair inclusion into a society where all can participate, prosper, and achieve their full potential–to achieve its vision of Healthy People, Healthy Places.  

2021 CEO Blueprint For Racial Equity

Overview

Our 2021 CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity will guide you beyond diversity and inclusion commitments to the heart of the business opportunity ahead: addressing the intended and unintended impacts of your products, services, operations, policies, and practices on people of color and low-income communities, with key recommendations across the three domains of corporate influence: within the company, within the community, in society.

June 2021: Advancing Well-Being by Transcending the Barriers of Whiteness

Overview

PolicyLink, in partnership with Well Being Trust, developed Advancing Well-Being by Transcending the Barriers of Whiteness to identify “centering whiteness” as a social and institutional framework that prevents meaningful movement toward racial equity, describe specific social and economic inequities that have been exacerbated by this framework, and make clear new narratives that will be necessary for systemic and policy change. 

This paper, along with the companion Community Dialogue Guide, serve as the starting point for critical dialogues that deepen and build shared understanding across communities.

June 2021

Designing the Next Generation of Federal Place-Based Policy: Insights from Past and Ongoing Programs

Overview

Efforts to advance racial equity and boost upward mobility will require a robust national commitment to reversing the legacy of segregation and disinvestment that disproportionately harm low-income communities of color. The federal government can play a central role by catalyzing and supporting reparative work within communities, in partnership with local and state governments, regional coalitions, and philanthropy. This report presents findings from a scan of 33 past and ongoing federal place-based programs to inform future policies. It reflects advice and input from a policy working group made up of policymakers and civic leaders with broad and deep experience working in communities across the country. We envision that the next generation of federal policies focused on places will (1) confront racial inequity and injustice, (2) bridge sectors and policy domains, (3) respect and build community voice and power, (4) deliver sufficient resources and lasting system reforms, and (5) promote a culture of learning through evidence and evaluation. Download executive summary. 

Updated Rent Debt Data Informs Equitable Recovery Efforts

 

Dear Atlas users,

We’ve had an exciting month, from launching the Racial Equity Data Lab to equipping housing advocates across the country with new data on the Covid-driven rent debt crisis. As summer kicks off, we remain focused on producing research and data tools to advance an equitable recovery and shared prosperity. Here are some updates:

Clearing $19 Billion in Back Rent Urgently Needed for Equitable Recovery

This week, we released new national and local data on our Rent Debt Dashboard, produced in partnership with with Right to the City Alliance. As of the end of April, 5.8 million renters — overwhelmingly low-income households of color who’ve lost employment income during the pandemic — owe nearly $19 billion in back rent. With the federal eviction moratorium scheduled to expire at the end of June, clearing this debt is urgently needed to prevent an eviction crisis and make equitable recovery possible. In California, our data was included in a report from Housing NOW, BARHII, and PolicyLink about how the state can strengthen its rental assistance programs. See the data for your community on the dashboard and check out our updated analysis. 

Rent Debt Data Supports “Cancel the Rent” Campaign in Oregon

In partnership with Oregon’s Community Alliance of Tenants, the Atlas team released a new fact sheet on rent debt and households behind on rent in Oregon. Even as economic recovery is picking up, in Oregon one in 10 renter households, many of whom are people of color and have low incomes, still owe a total of $170 million in back rent. These renters were the hardest hit by pandemic shutdowns and layoffs, underscoring the continued need for renter protections and rent cancellation as part of an equitable recovery. The new data were presented at the Oregon Cancel the Rent Digital Town Hall alongside stories and learnings from tenant leaders. You can find a recording of the town hall here.

Getting Started in the Racial Equity Data Lab: Create Your Own $15/Hour Fact Sheet

Last month, we launched the Racial Equity Data Lab, a new space on the Atlas where you can create unique data displays, dashboards, and maps. The Lab has everything you need to tell your community’s equity story using Atlas data: ready-to-use datasets, data visualization basics, and a step-by-step guide to get you started. You can watch the recording from our introductory webinar here.

Join us this Thursday, June 3, at 12 pm PT for the second installment of our three-part webinar series, “Getting Started in the Racial Equity Data Lab: Create Your Own $15/Hour Fact Sheet.” Through this series, the Atlas team and our partners at Tableau and Lovelytics will walk you through each step of creating your own $15/hour fact sheet, from accessing the data to publishing a custom visualization that you can download, share, and use to advance equitable recovery strategies in your community. If you missed Part 1: Exploring Your Data, you can watch the recording or follow the instructions in the step-by-step guide on the Lab to update the data for your fact sheet. Click here to register for Part 2: Designing Your Data Viz.

Atlas Team Presents to House Committee on Ways and Means

On May 21, the Atlas team shared the National Equity Atlas with the Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the US House of Representatives on a panel titled, “Measuring What we Value: Bridging Gaps in Data and Reporting on Race and Ethnicity”that included experts in disaggregated data Randall Akee, Nancy Lopez Ninez Ponce, and Rhonda Sharpe. The Committee recently created a Racial Equity Initiative to address the role of racism in perpetuating health and economic inequities. The Atlas team shared our work to highlight the power of disaggregated data to advance equitable, targeted solutions.

You’re Invited: Join the Measurable Equity One Year Challenge

Join Clear Impact and the National Equity Atlas team for a webinar on June 15 (11 am PT / 2 pm ET) to learn more about the Measurable Equity One Year Challenge. Clear Impact designed this challenge to help government, non-profit, and foundation leaders assess, plan, and advance racial equity using a suite of free resources and tools, including a Racial Equity Scorecard powered by Atlas data. Register here.

In the News

This month, U.S. News, The Intercept, Duluth News Tribune, Governing, The Daily Californian, MPR News, Berkeley News, Minn Post, and AL.com all cited findings from our Rent Debt Dashboard, on both the national and local level. StreetsBlog cited our commute time indicator, which reveals that Black workers have 12 percent longer commute times than their White counterparts. Finally, Reuters covered the launch of our Racial Equity Data Lab.

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

June 2021

Advancing Park Equity in California

Overview

The global pandemic, and resulting economic crisis brought on by Covid-19, has laid bare the deep racial and economic inequities that persist in every aspect of life in the United States. For millions of Californians who have been sheltering in place over the last year, parks have provided a space to get fresh air, exercise, and meet with loved ones in a physically distanced and appropriate manner. In this context, parks have taken on a renewed importance both as critical to reducing the chronic health problems that put people at increased risk of serious complications or death from Covid, and as invaluable spaces for residents to stay healthy and active while adhering to physical distancing requirements.

Advancing Park Equity in California explores the need to deepen investment in parks and offers recommendations to California lawmakers. 

New Data Dashboard Tracks Rent Debt in States, Regions, and Counties

April 27, 2021

Dear Atlas users,

With the conviction of Derek Chauvin, the Atlas team stands in solidarity with George Floyd’s family. True justice would be a world where George Floyd was never murdered. We remain committed to supporting the fight for racial equity and systemic justice through our analyses, disaggregated data tools, and campaign support. Here are some updates:

Join Us for the Launch of the Racial Equity Data Lab on May 6

The National Equity Atlas is America’s most detailed report card on racial and economic equity – and now we’re democratizing our data even further help you to build your own custom Atlas-powered data dashboards. Join us on May 6 at 12:00pm Pacific / 3:00 Eastern for the launch of the Racial Equity Data Lab, a new space on the Atlas where you can create unique data displays, dashboards, and maps. The Lab has everything you need to tell your community’s equity story using Atlas data: ready-to-use datasets, data visualization basics, and a step-by-step guide to get you started. We’ll also share a starter dashboard focused on the importance of raising the minimum wage. For example, in Dallas, fewer workers earn at least $15 now than in 1980, due entirely to racial inequities. Join this webinar to hear more about the Lab, how we’re using it to support equity campaigns, and how to create custom data visualizations for your community. Register now!

New Rent Debt Dashboard Tracks Covid Impacts to Support Broad Renter Protections

Stabilizing renters experiencing housing insecurity is key to an equitable recovery and lasting prosperity for our communities, so we partnered with Right to the City Alliance to equip advocates and policymakers with timely, local data on the extent of renter debt and the characteristics of households affected by it. Our regularly updated data reveals that the renters behind on rent owe an average of $3,400 – and the vast majority of them are low-wage workers, disproportionately people of color, who’ve suffered job and income losses due to the economic shutdowns. Without sufficient eviction protection, debt relief, and financial support, these Covid-impacted renters will be left behind. Visit the rent debt dashboard to see the data for your community, and check out our accompanying analysis.

In the News

This month, Forbes highlighted the Atlas as a key tool for advancing racial equity on a municipal level. Denver7 TV aired a story featuring the findings and implications of our rent debt analysis, and Planetizen also highlighted the data in our rent debt dashboard. Government Affairs called for the Biden Administration to develop equity indicators modeled after the Atlas. And ABC Cleveland, Energy News Network, and Akron Beacon Journal all cited our data in their coverage of racial inequities. See a complete list of media coverage here.

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

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