Standards for Excellence Racial Justice Cohorts

Assessing the Standards for Excellence Through a Racial Justice Lens

PANO is on a mission to assess and improve our Standards for Excellence through a racial justice lens. Standards for Excellence is a set of 66 best practices for nonprofit governance, management, and operations. We recognize our responsibility to review what has been considered “best” and ask “best for whom?”.

Over the last year, we have recruited 13 cohorts to participate in this assessment, with the two-fold goal of:

• Removing implicit bias from the current Standards language; and
• Identifying where inclusion can be embedded in the policies and practices.

Cohorts included 97 staff and board members from Pennsylvania nonprofits who convened virtually for five 90-minute discussions focused on a specific area within the Standards. And who better to inform policy change than those who have seen the positive and negative impacts of those policies on the communities they serve?

While our cohorts have all been filled (for now!), those interested in learning more can contact PANO’s Strategic Initiatives Project Manager, Kevin Burrell, at kevin@pano.org.

Anticipated Outcomes

• Uncover underlying bias within policies and practices that pose barriers to organizational change, professional growth, and/or client access to service.
• Determine areas of policy and practice where inclusion can be embedded.
• Change policies and practices within participating organizations, including PANO.
• Influence policies and practices that will be used to guide nonprofit governance in organizations across Pennsylvania.
• Influence policy and practice recommendations submitted to the National Standards for Excellence Institute.

Cohort Topics

• Planning & Evaluation
• Board Governance
• Personnel Policies & Procedures
• Volunteer Policies & Crisis Planning
• Legal Compliance
• Finance & Operations
• Resource Development
• Public Awareness, Engagement & Advocacy