W.K. Kellogg Foundation Launches Expanding Equity Program to Advance Racial Equity in the Corporate Sector

Program offers proven tools and human-centered approaches for taking action on diversity, equity and inclusion

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Nov 19, 2020, 07:00 ET

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its decades-long efforts to advance racial equity internally and in communities, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) announces a new program to transform corporate workplaces into more equitable places of opportunity.

Expanding Equity is a transformational program for advancing racial equity in companies. It offers the tools, knowledge and human-centered approaches for cultivating workplaces that attract, develop, retain and promote diverse talent – delivering benefits for a company's employees and bottom line.

The program was piloted in 2020 with an inaugural cohort of five financial services firms with more than $300 billion assets under management. One hundred percent of the firms rated the program highly, would recommend it to other companies and felt better equipped to build their company's racial equity program as a result.

"Right now, many companies have the desire to expand racial equity, diversity and inclusion efforts but are wondering how to take action within their organizations," said La June Montgomery Tabron, WKKF president and CEO. "The Kellogg Foundation has been on our own journey in this work. We have experience and expertise to share with the corporate sector and recognize this is the time to offer it more directly. Doing so can drive better results for companies and create a more just economy where all families can thrive.

"Among the things I find most encouraging about our inaugural cohort is that they aren't just talking about racial equity. They are taking action. That's what this work is about," added Tabron.

The nine-month program offers a supportive learning environment, with access to the coaching and data needed to measure and advance racial equity in a company. It includes:

Tools, coaching and nationally recognized expertise in racial equity and racial healing from Kellogg Foundation staff
A Racial Equity Mini-Diagnostic that offers confidential baseline information to inform leadership and employee development, engagement and retention strategies
Four dynamic cohort workshops that support peer learning and problem solving, in addition to offering tangible plans and steps to pilot racial equity initiatives
Specialized leadership programming for your leaders and employees.

"Participating in Expanding Equity makes solid business sense," said Carlos Rangel, WKKF's director of investments and an architect for the Expanding Equity program. "Companies who prioritize diversity are 35% more likely to have above average financial returnsⁱ. And, with people of color becoming more than half of the U.S. workforce by 2050ⁱⁱ, forward-thinking companies are taking action to ensure employees of all backgrounds can belong, contribute and experience well-being in their workplaces.

The Kellogg Foundation is actively recruiting companies for 2021 and 2022 cohorts from the following industries: Financial Services, Consumer Goods, Banking, Business/Professional Services and Technology. Costs for program participation, other than any travel expenses, are covered by the foundation. The foundation will rely on virtual sessions for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19.

Visit ExpandingEquity.com for additional information or to reach out to foundation staff about participating.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.