Awarded in 2017 as a Kellogg Foundation place-based program, Dallas TRHT is a community-based organization focused on planning for and bringing about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism. Dallas TRHT’s mission is to create a radically inclusive city by addressing race and racism through narrative change, relationship building and equitable policies and practices with a vision of a Dallas where no North and South divisions exist in terms of race, wealth, arts, culture, health, safety, education and opportunity, and communities actively, honestly and openly acknowledge, repair and heal from its past and present racial inequities.
A hierarchy of human value is embedded in the policies and practices of organizations who have not engaged in racial equity work. This lack of awareness in organizations can contribute to already overwhelming racial disparities marginalized communities face daily. This problem is heightened within the nonprofit sector and is a necessity for organizations that serve or want to serve communities of color facing racial inequities and disparities. To move towards equity, organizations must address the unacknowledged historical oppression/inequities, and develop a common understanding in relation to current conditions, and works towards developing equitable strategies.
To support and educate the community on the necessity of racial equity training, understanding and policy implementation, Dallas TRHT will be hosting the Racial Equity NOW Cohort for 2020-2021. The Cohort is designed to provide organizations with training/information sharing, case study presentations, policy review and development, outcomes development and site visit.
The Cohort offers three key outcomes for participating organizations. Participants will:
- Increase their knowledge of race, racism, racial healing, racial equity and racial justice and provide leadership development on implementation of racial equity policies and practices within their organization and for their communities.
- Draft racial equity policy, a racial equity theory of change, and an organizational strategic plan with a racial equity lens
- Receive racial equity grant funding to implement their racial equity strategy plans
The Cohort will provide learning opportunities for personnel at all levels of the organization with a requirement that participants include a Board member (for at least ½ of the sessions), senior level decision-making staff member and direct service staff member. All training and coaching expenses are covered by Dallas TRHT.
A cohort group of up to 12 nonprofits will be selected through a competitive grant process, and will be asked to make a 9-month commitment to this program. Participants will attend a series of workshops, as well as be provided with one-on-one racial equity coaching on developing and implementing racial equity policy.
Organizational Commitments
The initial session will be held February 17, 2021, with additional sessions held the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Sessions will be 6 hours in length, and will require attendance by a Board member (for at least ½ of the sessions, depending on the topic of a given workshop), senior level decision-making staff member and direct service staff member. Accepted participants will be provided with advance notification of session dates & times, location and type of attendee required.
Participants will be provided with up to 60 hours of time during the year long program to work with their racial equity coach. The hours can be broken up and used according to each agency’s preference beginning in March 2021 and ending November 2021.
All workshops will be held virtually, initially, with location considerations being explored Q2 of the cohort. One-on-one coaching can be conducted in-person, by phone or by email. In-person coaching should be considerate of social distancing requirements.
ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS
To be eligible to participate in the RE NOW Cohort, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service.
- At least 51% of the total population served by the agency must be residents of Dallas County.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
The most competitive application will:
- Make the case for your organization’s need and readiness to engage in capacity building and leadership development to address racial equity;
- Describes your organization’s ability to be an influential organization that will benefit from the training and bring about transformative change in key areas of society;
- Focus on building organizational effectiveness to conduct internal and external racial equity policy and systems change;
- Describe the anticipated difference the cohort will make on the organizations;
- Offer insight on the organization’s knowledge gaps about racial equity and the impact it has on the organization and the community it serves.
- Complete the application having answered the questions completely and with transparency on the organization’s readiness to address racial equity.
RE NOW COHORT APPLICATION PROCESS
Completed applications must be submitted on or before January 11, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. to dallastrht.org/NPRENow Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Applicants will be notified by e-mail if more information is needed. Please contact Errika Moultrie at errikafm@dallastrht.org if you have any questions about guidelines or application requirements. All applicants will be required to attend a panel interview as the final step in the application process. Panel participants should include the CEO, Board member, and one additional staff member. Panel dates and times will be provided January 14, 2021.. Panel interviews will be held during the weeks of January 18th. Panel interviews will be 30 minutes in length and held with the TRHT application review team.
Click here to download a PDF version of the application.
Final decisions on cohort selection will be emailed by January 29, 2021.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
- Complete the online application
- A letter signed by the Chair of the Board and Executive Director articulating organizational commitment to racial equity and RE Now for Nonprofits participation
- Attachments should be uploaded with the application as a PDF.
- Submit your application at dallastrht.org/nprenow
- All submissions will be acknowledged within 24 hours.
