Conceptualizing a Pyramid Model on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for Non-Profits and Community Organizations
Project Overview
Organizations need to create inclusion strategies to achieve a sense of belonging among the clients and communities they serve. Understanding how Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) guides our work at Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services (MCHS) is essential. This model provides an EDI framework specifically designed for non-profit organizations serving newcomers and marginalized communities. Access Alliance is committed to using this framework to inform not only our internal practices but also our future partnerships and community involvement. Using this model, we hope to build a sense of belonging amongst our community members.
At the same time, we believe that the clarity of this model can offer a deeper understanding and subsequently, a deeper commitment to EDI by all non-profits. Despite non-profits’ social awareness, research indicates that newcomers and racialized groups are not equitably reflected in the sector.
The project builds upon Access Alliance’s legacy of informal EDI practices and our previous work on health equity. In 2015, we created a concept paper “Anti-Oppression Practice at Access Alliance and Beyond” that discusses multiple dimensions of anti-oppression and reports on how this framework is embedded into organizational practices. In 2019, we collaborated with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to develop a Health Equity Framework.
In this project, we created a structured framework to conceptualize EDI components with the goal of creating a sense of belonging for everyone we work with and serve. We developed a comprehensive Pyramid Model for understanding and implementing EDI in community-based organizations. The pyramid model frames equity as “our lens of understanding”, diversity as “who we are”, inclusion as “the intentional actions we are taking” and finally, a sense of belonging as “our goal”.
In this summary we will share the model and how it can be used to bring an intentional and measurable EDI focus to community work.
Key Components of the EDI Framework
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Framework is structured around a Pyramid Model. This model is designed to conceptualize EDI components in a way that is accessible and actionable for community-based organizations.
The EDI Framework is structured as a pyramid model with four interconnected levels:
Equity – Our Lens of Understanding
Equity involves recognizing and addressing structural factors that create inequities among different social groups. By using equity as a lens, Access Alliance aims to underline our entire framework with an understanding of the structural inequities faced by marginalized communities.
Equity forms the foundation of the pyramid and includes four pillars:
- Accountability: Taking responsibility for actions and being transparent about decision-making and resource allocation. We recognize that we are accountable to the communities that we serve and that we plan to mitigate potential harms before they occur.
- Mutuality: Recognizing that EDI initiatives benefit both the organization and the broader community. This involves transparency of our efforts and results.
- Intersectionality: Considering how various forms of discrimination and disempowerment interact, particularly for individuals with multiple marginalized identities.
- Cultural Humility: Committing to self-reflection, lifelong inquiry to understand one’s own cultural biases, and sensitivity to others’ cultures.
Diversity – Who We Are
Diversity acknowledges the differences among staff, clients, and the larger community. The framework highlights the importance of understanding the differences outlined below to address various forms of oppression such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, colonialism, and xenophobia:
- Gender
- Sexuality
- Race
- Age
- Indigeneity
- Ability
- Immigration status
- Health insurance status
- Place of origin
- Religion
Inclusion – The Intentional Actions We Are Taking
This component represents the intentional actions we are taking to ensure all individuals feel respected, valued, and equally supported. To foster inclusion, we integrate the action-based frameworks of Anti-Oppression, Anti-Colonialism and Anti-Racism. Inclusion involves intentional, measurable actions to reduce discrimination and inequity, made up of three main steps:
- Commitment from Leadership: Ensuring leaders possess a thorough understanding of EDI, demonstrate core competencies, and set the organizational tone, leading by example to foster an inclusive environment.
- Evidence-Based Approaches: Utilizing research and internal data collection to inform EDI practices and organizational decisions.
- Inclusive Interaction: Implementing structured practices to create meaningful connections and long-term cultural change within the organization. Inclusion is making a commitment to more than occasional training.
Inclusive interaction is by far the most challenging step. It involves organizational cultural change which can be initiated by staff at all levels of the organization. Practices include intentional actions on the organizational, workgroup and individual levels and emphasize daily/routine commitments to inclusion over occasional diversity training. These structured approaches to inclusive interaction aim to shift infrequent and superficial engagements between staff into meaningful connections and steps towards culture change.
Sense of Belonging – Our Goal
The goal of the framework is to create an environment where all feel welcomed, valued, and able to contribute meaningfully. This sense of belonging is rooted in psychological safety and supports advocacy for systemic change.
The EDI Framework also includes operational components focused on specific health domains such as Gender Health, Sexuality and Health, Refugee Health, Non-status Residents’ Health, Black Health, Immigrant and Newcomer Health, Race-addressed Health, and Age-based Health. These components reflect Access Alliance’s commitment to addressing the unique needs of diverse communities through our programs and partnerships.
What We Found/What We Learned
This comprehensive EDI Framework aims to create a structured approach to understanding and implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion while focusing on achieving a sense of belonging for all stakeholders at Access Alliance. Our goal is to ensure that staff, clients and all stakeholders feel as though they belong at Access Alliance. Achieving this goal ensures that everyone feels welcomed, accepted, and celebrated.
The Framework leads organizational planning and implementation, but also the important areas of measuring and evaluating progress to ensure that EDI do not remain simply aspirational.
Equity must be understood through pillars of accountability, mutuality, intersectionality, and cultural humility. Diversity reflects differences based on gender, sexuality, race, age, Indigeneity, ability, immigration status, and religion. Inclusion requires concrete actions including leadership commitment, evidence-based approaches, and inclusive interaction.
Benefits and Uses of the EDI Framework
Access Alliance Usage:
- Informing internal practices and partnerships, and our approach to Community-based Research.
- Guiding program evaluation, resource development, and knowledge translation activities. Continuing our commitment to program evaluation and community-based research that utilizes the expertise of peer researchers.
- Implementing specific health domains including Gender Health, Refugee Health, Black Health, and Indigenous Health Equity.
Other Stakeholders:
- Community Organizations: Develop their own EDI approaches using the pyramid model.
- Healthcare Partners: Implement health equity components of the framework.
- Research Institutions: Build upon the evidence-based methodology to advance understanding of EDI in health research.
Our Project Team
Akm Alamgir, PhD, Director of Organizational Knowledge and Learning
Bella Shulman, MSW Candidate
For any questions or concerns please contact research@accessalliance.ca