Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part opinion series on attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion four years after the murder of George Floyd sparked a racial reckoning in this country. Next week, look for an essay by Gara LaMarche, former president and CEO of the Atlantic Philanthropies, on why philanthropy needs to speak up in the face of these attacks.

Scan the headlines, and you might conclude that DEI is under a death watch. Just this week, a federal appeals court suspended a grant program for Black women business owners operated by the Fearless Fund venture capital firm. It ruled that a lawsuit claiming the program was discriminatory would likely prevail.

Texas, Florida, and Alabama have banned diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public universities. The Supreme Court has rolled back race-conscious admissions practices and taken aim at LGTBQ+ rights. And DEI has been blamed for everything from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore to airplane safety issues.

In reality, skilled DEI experts are in high demand as organizations grapple with the rise in political polarization and navigate rising tensions over issues such as the Israel-Hamas war. As these issues play out in workplaces, many turn to DEI professionals for help. So while the DEI field is under attack, the need for this work is greater than ever. In fact, a survey released this week by Bridge Partners found that nearly 75 percent of companies plan to increase their DEI commitments during the next two years.

For philanthropy, it may feel tempting right now to put the brakes on investing in DEI, but the current threats facing the industry demand the opposite. The best way to protect the progress made toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, is to strengthen the DEI field itself. The disjointed landscape of DEI facilitators, educators, strategists, data analysts, researchers, and organizers grew rapidly following the murder of George Floyd four years ago. It could benefit from greater rigor, accountability, and support.

“The industry needs transparency, structure, and community so that anyone can understand the work being done, how and why leaders and practitioners know what they do, and to what extent any of it is creating changed outcomes,” notes DEI strategist Lily Zheng in their book, “DEI Deconstructed.”

Philanthropy’s Role

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Supporting the DEI field is central to fighting back against the onslaught of political, legal, and social efforts to dismantle fundamental rights and halt cultural change. As DEI leaders and practitioners, we believe philanthropy needs to take a leading role as we seek to build a stronger and more sustainable profession. Here’s how grant makers can help:

Counter anti-DEI narratives and misinformation. Help cut through the noise and false characterizations about DEI by communicating the truth about what this work involves and why it’s necessary. Share examples of how DEI initiatives have meaningfully advanced both your mission and that of your grantees. Last week, for example, the Kresge Foundation posted on its website a detailed account of its diversity and equity work during the past three decades, noting that such efforts are being cut back at other organizations as “fairness and equity come under siege.”

In external communications, such as newsletters, and in discussions with peer institutions, grantees, and others, more funders need to follow suit. That means speaking out against disingenuous characterizations of DEI as “reverse racism” or “woke brainwashing,” and discussing what’s at stake if these attacks are successful.

Even short pronouncements of public support on social media can send a powerful message, especially when they come from individual philanthropists. Billionaire Mark Cuban’s recent statement defending DEI policies at his companies is a good example. As grant makers, your word carries weight: Use it to signal where you stand and dispel the myths aimed at undermining this critical work.

Share what is and isn’t working. Lessons can be gleaned from any organization’s DEI experiences and the innovative approaches they’ve taken. Create case studies about what did and didn’t work, such as this one from the public policy nonprofit Demos, which outlines why the organization undertook a racial equity transformation process and the lessons it learned. Then disseminate the case studies internally and among grantee and peer institutions.

Sharing both the good and the bad sends an important message: Any reasonable DEI-related missteps, unaccomplished goals, or strategy changes should not be met with immediate negative consequences, including reduced funding, but seen as learning opportunities that can benefit the field as a whole.

This work is hard and complex. Most, if not all, organizations will experience discomfort, frustration, and moments of doubt throughout the process of transforming into institutions that genuinely embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Foundation leaders should be honest about the problems they’ve confronted and what they’ve gained from those experiences.

The Innovia Foundation, for example, has shared how its DEI process led the grant maker to rethink its leadership style and grapple with the impact of current organizational practices. Being forthright about such challenges can make it easier for others to learn from and disclose the issues they’ve confronted.

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Invest in organizations working to strengthen the DEI profession. This work doesn’t end with your own organization. More consistent and improved training of DEI practitioners will elevate the professionalism of the field as a whole and send a message that this is vital and serious work. More support is needed for both stand-alone training programs housed at nonprofits and nascent university-based efforts, especially those taking shape through MBA programs. For instance, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania now offers a diversity, equity, and inclusion major.

Philanthropy should also help establish clear guidelines for DEI work, such as those being developed by the Corporate Racial Equity Alliance to help businesses advance and track their DEI progress in areas like leadership and workplace culture. Standards like these will provide greater accountability for DEI practitioners and organizations in any field.

Look beyond pre-existing networks. When hiring DEI staff or consultants, don’t just rely on familiar networks. Services such as the DEI Career Board can help foundations and nonprofits tap into valuable talent pools, particularly younger professionals that may not be on an organization’s radar. As many DEI trailblazers approach retirement, focusing on the long-term success of emerging Millennial and Gen Z talent will pay dividends for generations. Foundations can assist grantees in this process by facilitating direct introductions with young DEI professionals.

Create community. Those engaged in DEI work often feel isolated from one another. Grant makers are uniquely positioned to bring together practitioners from their organizations and among grantees to share their experience, foster community, and participate in professional development opportunities. They can also support more formal efforts of this kind. The Inclusion Allies Coalition, for example, provides a range of resources and networking opportunities for DEI professionals and organizations. With greater investment of time and resources, this work can significantly strengthen the DEI field and counteract the stress and loneliness that contributes to high burnout and turnover rates.

Align funding strategies with DEI principles. Embedded in all this work should be a fundamental rethinking of funding approaches that focus as much on how problems get solved as what issues are being addressed. That means that whether grantees are providing services to underserved communities or protecting reproductive rights, they should incorporate DEI principles and embrace strategies squarely aimed at dismantling the root causes of those problems. Importantly, the expertise of community leaders and their constituents should be central to developing solutions.

Instead of abandoning DEI or being pushed into silence, philanthropy must come together to strengthen the field and ensure its durability. This is no time to be cowed by false messages and scare tactics. DEI is here to stay — let’s work together to make it better.

(Dan Egol was previously a consultant to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.)