Our Race Equity and Inclusion Journey

To understand our REI journey, we acknowledge our beginnings and look strategically to the future.

We would like to acknowledge that The Raymond John Wean Foundation operates and recreates on the traditional Erie and Kaskaskia lands.

When local industrialist Raymond John Wean created the Wean Foundation in 1949, it is unlikely that he could have foreseen the focus and work of the Foundation today. From growing and professionalizing staffing to innovating strategies and forging new and important collaborations, the Foundation has maintained its commitment to a principle that has shaped its work: the deliberate and intentional engagement of residents is essential for authentic, lasting change to occur.

Building on this vital principle, the Foundation integrated principles of race equity and inclusion (REI) into all aspects of its work and established key REI outcomes to focus each initiative. This intentionality provides motivation to remain committed to this rigorous, at times arduous work, and to fulfill our vision of empowered residents creating an equitable Mahoning Valley.

Our REI Journey 1-Pager 

Key points of learning from our ongoing REI Journey

  • We have learned that now is the time to take action and to bring residents, race equity and inclusion center stage in every sphere of life, business and development.
  • Cultivating shared understanding of race equity and inclusion takes time but accelerates and sustains progress.
  • It is not possible to solve entrenched challenges with entrenched beliefs — fresh thinking, honest conversations, and resident-led approaches are required if we are to achieve lasting progress.
  • Fresh approaches to community building in the Mahoning Valley are an urgent necessity. For too long, our community has struggled to find lasting solutions to our most urgent concerns. Challenges remain. Disparities deepen. Racism persists.
  • To solve the problems we face, we must trace them to their root causes. To trace problems to their root causes, we must acknowledge the history of systemic racism. To overcome systemic racism, we must all learn to identify it, describe it and dismantle it.

When we all begin our own REI journeys, we will, as a community, begin to create a healthy, vibrant, equitable and economically-stable Mahoning Valley.

Our REI Journey

Awareness-building

  • Sponsored five Racial Equity Institute trainings (totaling $96,055 in resources), reaching more than 125 community stakeholders, representing nearly 60 different organizations, including the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Group.
  • Partnered with Glenmede Trust to broaden knowledge and abilities for Wean Foundation and other clients to more effectively align investments with their racial equity values.
  • Referred grantees and partners to various professional development opportunities with an emphasis on REI.

Learning

  • Explored hosting REI trainings in Spanish and learned there is no capacity among current provider to facilitate such a workshop.
  • As part of our strategy to work with investment managers at diverse firms, learned it is difficult to find clear data on diversity among investment managers, making it difficult to measure our progress in this area.
  • Renewed and built skills in grant review, analysis and due diligence using what we refer to as the “triangle,” an illustration of how staff follow the course of an application—challenges, strategy and outcomes—with the intention of producing robust and balanced analysis.

Courage & Practice

  • Increased Community Investment funding to Black, Hispanic or Latinx-led organizations by 64% in 2023 compared with 2022. Nearly a third of Community Investment Grant dollars—totaling $905,000—were awarded to Black, Hispanic or Latinx-led organizations in 2023.
  • Intentionally aligned the investment of our endowment more closely with our values, particularly racial equity. To date, 35% of our portfolio is invested in ways designed to align with our values.
  • Consistent with the “Making Philanthropy Better” report, analyzed and recommended actions to adjust and rebrand our Neighborhood SUCCESS Grants program, now called Resident Engagement Grants. Engaged communications content expert to articulate a clear and accurate narrative of the program’s purpose and future direction.
  • Increased number of Black or Hispanic/Latinx-led organizations participating in the Youngstown State University Nonprofit Leader Fellowship program from one of 10 (10%) in 2021 to four of 13 (31%) in 2023.
  • Hosted racial equity focused events and discussions, including Philanthropy Ohio’s Blacks in Philanthropy Affinity Group’s first in-person event of 2023 and their first convening in the Mahoning Valley, and an afternoon of conversation with more than a dozen Black women mentors and mentees, including the Wean fellows, staff and residents.
  • Increased visibility and recruited for various initiatives in new spaces, including the Pride in the Valley, Juneteenth and HOLA festivals and the Warren City School District’s Back to School event. An organized effort to make the most effective use of these opportunities and our resources is underway, specifically around value alignment and tracking engagement.
  • Promoted the Wean Foundation as an inclusive community and civic engagement space and encouraged use of our facilities by waiving rental fees in 2023.
  • Staff served on the following boards and committees: Enlightened Solutions, Health Policy Institute of Ohio, PEAK Grantmaking Programming Committee, Ohio Transformation Fund Grant Committee, Fund for Our Economic Future Member Engagement and Development Committee, Philanthropy Ohio DEIB Committee and its Blacks in Philanthropy Affinity Group.
  • Nominated the CEO of a local Black-led organization, who was then appointed, to serve on a regional organization’s governance board as a voting member. The organization expanded its board membership to include civic representation of up to 30% (eight members) and changed its governance structure to ensure inclusion of Black and Hispanic/Latinx individuals who would bring a range of relevant backgrounds and experiences to its mission and priorities.

Awareness-building

  • Sponsored four Racial Equity Institute (REI) trainings ($75,000), reaching more than 80 community stakeholders, representing 36 organizations; Researched options for the REI Phase 1 training to be conducted in Spanish
  • Organized a three-part Equitable Organizations Learning Series

Practice

  • Participated in regional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees of the Fund for Our Economic Future and Philanthropy Ohio
  • Pursued additional personal and organizational learning through various networking events and conferences
  • Impact investing can be practiced without suffering lower investment yields.

Learning

  • Adopted indicators for our desired Race Equity and Inclusion outcomes to track and measure progress
  • Created a process within our grantmaking platform to collect Resident Engagement grantseeker demographics as well as racial equity and inclusion information from potential vendors
  • For the first time, reported the racial demographics of the leadership of Community Investment and Resident Engagement grant awardees
  • Provided program funding to Black and Hispanic or Latinx-led organizations:
    • Community Investment: Six organizations received $550,000 or 23% of total granted
    • Resident Engagement: Five organizations received $19,132 or 63% of total granted
  • Enhanced the collection of results from grantees by revising assessment form to include reflections on racial equity and inclusion
  • Developed a fellowship with Strategic Partners to address a lack of opportunities for Black and Hispanic/Latinx executive leadership in nonprofits and community development
  • Created and maintained a racially diverse staff (71% identify as Black or Hispanic/Latinx) and board (67% identify as Black or Hispanic/Latinx)
  • Under the leadership of the Board Investment Committee, revised our investment policy with the intention of aligning more closely the investment of the Foundation’s endowment with our values, particularly racial equity. Additionally, the Investment Committee has become familiar with and participated in the process of sponsoring or endorsing shareholder resolutions attempting to change the policies of individual corporations that run counter to our values. These resolutions cover many issues, from climate change to political contributions to reporting of diversity data.

Awareness

  • Sponsored Racial Equity Institute Training ($105,000):
    • Sessions (6): Community stakeholders (118)
    • Hosted Racial Equity Institute Training, in partnership with the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force (20), a cooperative of task forces that support community initiatives across the Mahoning Valley

Learning

  • Pursued personal, organization and community learning through racial equity and inclusion trainings
  • Informed REI practices by participating in DEI committees of local and regional partners 
  • Engaged Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) to produce a local Existing Conditions Report disaggregating data by race
  • Commissioned Embedding Racial Equity and Inclusion in Philanthropy in the Mahoning Valley, a report on the findings and recommendations of a broad exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives on the challenges and opportunities associated with the Foundation operationalizing its newly renamed Racial Equity and Inclusion Strategic Direction: 2019–2023 (REI Strategic Direction)

Practice

  • Racial Equity Theory of Change (RE TOC) shifted to REI Strategic Direction, a board and staff driven intentional effort to further operationalize racial equity
  • Developed desired Racial Equity and Inclusion Outcomes (REIOs) for each pillar
  • Engaged GOPC toward the development of metrics to support desired REIOs
  • Revised human resources recruitment practices to be more equitable and inclusive:
    • Updated job descriptions
    • Disclosed salary information
    • Made apparent the Foundation’s commitment to creating and sustaining a culture that challenges racism
  • Engaged both Strategic Partners in a new, deeper process of documenting their REI commitment beyond participation in the Racial Equity Institute training in the areas of awareness, learning and practice.

Awareness

  • Sponsored Racial Equity Institute Training (2) sessions ($30,000)
    • Hosted in-person session before onset of COVID-19 pandemic; community stakeholders (18)
    • Hosted virtual session; community stakeholders (27)  
  • Supported Mahoning County Health Improvement Plan with local data

Learning

  • Joined the Ad-Hoc DEI Committee of the Fund for our Economic Future (FFEF), a funding alliance striving to eliminate systemic inequities in Northeast Ohio
  • Collaborated with a local funder in creating the Getting to Know You Zoom Tours as intentional engagement between Black philanthropic leaders and Black and Hispanic/Latinx nonprofit leaders from Warren and Youngstown

Practice

  • Conducted an Equity Footprint Assessment with Third Space Action Lab (TSAL), a grassroots research, strategy, and design cooperative, to further REI integration
    • Formed REI Board/Staff Committee
    • Prioritized RE TOC as first project
  • 2019 Community Survey findings guided
    • Allocation of the Strategic Direction 2019 – 2023 Grantmaking budget
    • Alignment of NSG grants with the Resident Identified Priorities 
  • Mahoning Valley COVID-19 Crisis Relief and Stabilization grants: Ensured ongoing, equitable access to resources especially in communities of color 
  • Transitioned to an online platform intended for managing social impact projects, capable of streamlining grantmaking processes, reducing bias and tracking and disaggregating grantee data
  • Hired program officer to manage capacity building programming with an emphasis on REI 

Awareness

  • Sponsored Racial Equity Institute Training ($80,000)
    • Sessions (6): Wean board (100%) and community stakeholders (169)
    • Co-sponsored session: Strategic Partner, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (40)
  • Promoted Racial Equity Institute Training through presentations with local, regional and state organizations

Learning

Practice

  • Implemented Strategic Direction: 2019 – 2023, with an emphasis on achieving our mission and measuring success through a REI lens 
  • Expanded participation in Race Equity Institute Training expectation to Neighborhood SUCCESS Grants (NSG) agreement
  • Created REI Transformation Team
  • Exercised discretion in funding beyond the strategic priorities with support to an oral history project committed to collecting and preserving the rich heritage of Warren’s Black residents

Awareness

  • Sponsored Racial Equity Institute Training ($59,000)
    • Sessions (6): Community stakeholders (163)
    • Co-sponsored session: Warren City School District administrators (37)

Learning

  • Participated in the six-session Putting Racism on the Table
  • Attended two-day Art of Participatory Leadership workshop with Strategic Partners
  • Created REI thought partnership with local funder
  • Retained consultant to support REI efforts

Practice

  • Added Racial Equity Institute Training expectation to Community Investment Grants agreement
  • Emphasized grants that embed race equity and inclusion into the work and demonstrate a distribution of decision-making power, reflective of the communities we serve

Awareness

  • Sponsored Racial Equity Institute Training ($24,000)
    • Sessions (2): Wean staff (100%), Wean board (89%) and community stakeholders (80)

Learning

  • Commissioned Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a Grantee Perception Report 
  • Commissioned Dr. Robert Fisher to conduct a survey as additional follow-up to a 2006 PolicyLink report to provide further perspective on the Foundation’s progress 
  • Joined the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of Philanthropy Ohio, a statewide membership organization aiming to lead and equip its members to be effective partners for change in Ohio’s communities.

Practice

  • Implemented consideration of DEI in Community Investment Grants review
  • Added Racial Equity Institute Training to the Emerging Leaders Program curriculum
  • Authored Philanthropy Ohio’s Find Your Niche and Do Your Part article
  • Participated in Philanthropy Ohio’s Investing in Race Equity and Inclusion video

Awareness

Attended Racial Equity Institute Training following invite from regional philanthropic partners