In a moment when many organizations are retreating from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, one non-profit found an unexpected source of strength: a visioning activity grounded in hope.
Faced with growing pressure and concerns around losing federal funding, the organization—working to support key initiatives such as housing and financial literacy in the US—had begun to question how it could maintain its commitment to equity. Despite serving a diverse and often-marginalized clientele, the relevance of DEI felt somehow disconnected from staff members’ daily reality.
“At the heart of it, their very mission is designed to promote equity by serving those most in need—you’re not putting someone earning $200K in a housing security program. And yet they’re being told they can’t focus on equity or they’ll lose funding.”
Enter Danielle Marshall, IF Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP) Coach, executive coach, and equity strategist. Having a long-standing relationship with the NGO, she saw the moment as an opportunity. “We’re in a crisis,” she says, “but I have the belief that you never let a crisis go to waste. Similar to what happened during the pandemic, organizations have an opportunity to shore up systems and fix problems they’ve known about for years.”
Drawing from the Interactivity Foundation’s free CDP Toolkit, Danielle facilitated a session adapted from Activity 2.8, “Encouraging Bold Imagination.” Instead of asking participants to debate the future of DEI and fall into the well-worn traps of catch-phrases such as “culture wars”, she invited them to imagine a future in which their organization served all individuals—whether veterans, Braille readers, people with disabilities, low-income clients, or some other group. Then she asked: What would have to happen between now and then to make that future possible?
“I have witnessed organizations delay having certain conversations until they are in a strategic planning process. You can have these conversations even outside of strategic planning. It’s an opportunity to do real time visioning exercises. Funding aside, what would you want to be true? Once we name that, we can begin the process of figuring out what resources are needed and how to get there.”
Next, staff named practical changes they could make to strengthen the organization, irrespective of outside forces: more clearly defining roles, seeking diverse funding streams, or rebuilding community partnerships. “You can’t do 50 goals,” says Danielle. “Choose three. Do them well.”
These changes were focused on the foundations of the organization, rather than on reacting to the unknown or the “what might be”. The CDP activity therefore simultaneously helped the organization redesign itself for resilience, while also reconsidering how to ensure equitable service delivery.
“Even nonprofits that exist to be equitable still have inequities built in. This moment forced them to confront those blind spots—and start building something stronger.”
One staff member, previously skeptical of DEI efforts, approached Danielle afterward and said it was the first time they had felt hopeful all year. Danielle believes that that hope is central to long-term resilience.
“We created a common goal—and that fostered hope. It wasn’t about helping ‘them’ or ‘those people’. It became: what do we want as an organization? And how can we best be of service?”
“I think we all have agency within this moment,” adds Danielle. “It’s easy to get stuck in fear—about funding, about politics, about public opinion. But when we focus on what we can actually control, we have a stronger outcome.”
As organizations face political pushback and uncertainty, Danielle’s approach offers a timely reminder: the future isn’t fixed. Even now—especially now—it can be imagined differently.
Find the free CDP Toolkit activity Danielle used here.
Get Involved
The Collaborative Discussion Project is an IF project that provides free tools and activities that support collaborative discussion, as well as coach training. If you’d like to introduce these skills in your own community or learn more about hosting a workshop or specialty Certificate Program, reach out to us.
👉 Start using the free Collaborative Discussion Toolkit
👉 Join a free webinar for an Introduction to the Toolkit, or a workshop to deepen your skills
👉 Attend this year’s online CDP summer training in July or September to become a CDP Coach like Danielle
👉 Contact us for support running a workshop for your team or group
👉 Subscribe to the Collaborative Discussion Project newsletter for Toolkit activities, tips and tricks every Monday
👉 Donate to the Interactivity Foundation to keep supporting valuable dialogue work and programs
