At the end of 2018, Waco Foundation's Board of Trustees adopted a new vision and values statement that formally established racial equity as one of the Foundation’s priorities.
Vision for Race Equity Initiative
To make Greater Waco a better place to live for all members of the community, and to help foster an environment in which a person’s race or ethnicity has no influence on how one fares in society.
(Source: Equity in the Center)
Waco Foundation believes that racial inequity is a systemic problem that cannot be fully addressed through just a few programmatic and/or policy solutions. As such, any racial equity efforts in which the Foundation engages will likely extend beyond a single grant cycle or fiscal year. These efforts will require careful deliberation in order to determine what we, as a Foundation and community partner, have the ability to communicate, staff and support.
Foundation staff are working to design and implement a framework to ensure that we apply a racial equity lens to all of the Foundation’s areas of work. As a learning organization, we acknowledge that we are still growing in our understanding of this work and the most effective ways to facilitate it.
Racial Equity Goals
- Improve the community’s capacity to have constructive conversations and continuous learning in regards to race;
- Build community understanding of racial inequity, including the role race plays in determining the quality of life challenges faced by local residents;
- Normalize racial equity as a shared value and encourage the adoption of a race equity lens by various sectors and institutions through which to view and address challenges faced by the community;
- Facilitate the development and implementation of strategies to help address racial inequities;
- Contribute to fostering a race equity culture both inside and outside our organization for the purpose of achieving the improved outcomes we seek for our community.
Waco Foundation is committed to advancing a thorough understanding of racism and will continuously strive to facilitate this vision in order to ensure improved quality of life for all.
