JEDI Accelerator

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) have become pressing priorities for foundations in Canada. How do you start? How do you move from general commitment to action? This year long peer-learning program is for foundations that want to bring JEDI to life throughout their organization – from governance to grantmaking.

Areas of learning and action planning

Level of the individual: JEDI involves lifelong learning and self-development. How can our foundation create a climate and practices to support each person’s learning?

Internal organizational level: JEDI in governance, human resources, and organizational culture. How can our foundation be a place of work where belonging, listening and power-sharing are foundations of our culture?

External organizational level: JEDI in community relations, granting, investments, and external communications and public voice. How can our foundation’s work contribute to a more equitable and just world?

Accountability: How will we track and communicate our progress?

A team-based approach

Each participating foundation designates a board/staff team made up of 2 to 4 people. These can be a mix of foundation board members, foundation leaders, and program or operations staff.

The best results come when foundations include their most senior staff person (CEO, President or Executive Director) as well as board members and other staff. It is recommended that the same individuals participate in the entirety of the JEDI program so they can thoughtfully disseminate the information back to all members of their organization.

The Facilitators

Hanifa Kassam, Juniper Glass, and Tania Cheng have been an active part of the philanthropic sector, creating resources and holding space for learning and action to advance justice, equity, and inclusion. They each hold Master’s degrees in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership and have experience governing and consulting at grantmaking foundations across Canada.

The facilitator team brings lived experience in racialized, disabled, queer, non-binary, rural, urban, and low-income realities, as well as work experience in many other diverse communities.

Juniper and Hanifa are also authors of PFC’s action guides on DEI in foundations, gender-lens philanthropy, and DEI responses to COVID-19.

Learn more about Juniper, Hanifa, and Tania.