November 4, 2019 – Kris is a trusted advisor, philanthropy expert and author with more than 20 years of experience. She is the president and founder of Putnam Consulting Group, a global consulting firm who have helped utra-high net worth donors all over the world.ย She describes the current buzz around equity as a โblessing and a curseโ because while many are aware of the issue, they donโt always know what it means or what to do about it. The first step to truly understanding equity, is for foundations to apply an equity lens internally so theyโll be able to support more equitable work in whatever theyโre funding, such as healthcare, access to education, or other social needs.
The current buzz around equity โis both a blessing and a curse,โ says Kris Putnam-Walkerly โ a blessing because people are increasingly aware of the issue, but a challenge when they donโt really know what it means.
That tension was clear when Putnam-Walkerly began working with the CEO of a foundation who wanted to make sure the organization addressed the issue of equity. But within five minutes of their conversation, the CEO suggested they were already doing equity work โ by funding low-income residents โ and didnโt need to do more.
โIt was a good reminder that funders often donโt immediately recognize the importance of walking the talk on this issue and of applying that equity lens internally within their own foundation,โ Putnam-Walkerly says. โItโs so easy to jump into โLetโs make a grant!โโ
Putnam-Walkerly was hired to work with the foundationโs staff and board to help them understand what it means to integrate equity into their operations. She started by having the board look at what other foundations were doing. That was an easy point of entry, she notes, because she wasnโt forcing the board into an uncomfortable conversation about race, privilege, and implicit bias as a starting point.
Benchmarking their foundation in this way provided a โsafe zone,โ Putnam-Walkerly observes, and allowed the board and staff to learn how other foundations approach this work. As a result, the board decided toย incorporate equity into their strategic-planning process. Putnam-Walkerly then helped the grantmaker understand the difference between diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also guided the board and staff to define what they mean by โequity.โ
Why focus on a definition? Because itโs virtually impossible to make a change if board members and staff canโt agree on what theyโre trying to do. โAnd itโs ok if you donโt knowย what equity means,โ Putnam-Walkerly adds, โbecause, in some cases, other foundations donโt either.โ Much like the term innovation, equity is โone of those words that everyone understands and few can describe or define.โ
Providing concrete examples is an effective way to help understand how equity can be integrated into an organization, Putnam- Walkerly says. What does equity mean for the human resources staff? How can the grants- management team incorporate equity into their work?
Throughout this process, itโs vital that the CEO is committed to making equity part of the foundationโs internal operations. Like any cultural change, โif the leadership isnโt championing it, it doesnโt go anywhere.โ
Putnam-Walkerly believes foundations should apply an equity lens internally so theyโll be able to support more equitable work in whatever theyโre funding, such as healthcare, access to education, or other social needs.
As consultants work with clients to tackle these challenges, they donโt need to be DEI experts to help their clients integrate an equity lens into their core mission in a meaningful way, Putnam-Walkerly says. โTake time to educate yourself,โ she advises, but also recognize when you need to bring in someone with more experience.