Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Our Progress So Far

At Berkeley Foundation, we are committed to putting equity, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. In Autumn 2023, we launched our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) plan, and since then we’ve made intentional strides towards becoming a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive funder. Whilst we know that meaningful change takes time, we’re proud to share some of the progress we've made so far - and where we’re headed next.

When we launched our EDI plan, we set out clear objectives to:

• Expand and diversify our Board of Trustees, and ensure that all staff receive training and support on EDI issues; 
• Involve the people and communities we fund in our grant-making; 
• Collect and report on EDI data from our applicants and charity partners. 

These goals have guided our efforts, shaped our priorities, and informed how we engage with one another and the communities we serve.

1. Representation and recruitment

• We created an apprenticeship opportunity for a young person within the team; 
• We have recruited two new Trustees to our Board;
• The Foundation team has completed a two-part facilitated training course in ‘EDI in grant-making’, delivered by the Social Justice Collective. 

2. Drawing on lived experience

• We worked with young people from St Basils to design the funding focus and criteria of our two latest Resilience Fund programmes and shortlist applications;
• Our external grant assessment panels are made up of representatives from our charity partners, many with lived experience of the issues we are tackling;
• Years 2 and 4 of the Resilience Fund targeted organisations that are led by the communities they aim to serve. 70% of grants awarded in Year 2 went to organisations led by people from Global Majority communities.

3. Accountability and transparency  

• We have adopted the DEI Data Standard and use it to understand who is applying to us and who our funding is reaching; 
• We analysed DEI data collected through the third year of our Resilience Fund and have shared our learning through a blog on the Foundation’s website – read more here;
• We launched an anonymous survey for our charity partners to feed back on their experiences of working with us. 68% of survey respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the Foundation has prioritised equity, diversity and inclusion in our approach to the partnership.

We know that EDI requires a long-term commitment. Whilst we've made positive strides against our goals, we remain focused on areas where more progress is needed.

In the year ahead, we’ll focus on:

• Exploring and working towards piloting a youth advisory group to support and inform the Foundation’s work; 
• Implement EDI training for our Board of Trustees;
• Continuing to improve our grant-making processes in response to feedback, and in line with the principles of IVAR’s Open & Trusting Grant-making campaign;
• Launch our EDI monitoring form across our existing charity partnerships to gain a greater understanding of how equitable our funding is and to identify gaps.

We’re grateful to everyone who’s contributed to this journey so far, from sharing honest feedback to bringing valuable experience to decision-making processes. Our work continues, and so does our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion for all.