“When we founded CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion in 2017, our focus was on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplaces. However, with the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020, we recognized the need to expand our sphere of influence and take action both within and outside the four walls of our organizations. We recognized the important role the business community can play in supporting policies — at the federal, state and local levels — that advance racial equity, address social injustice and improve societal well-being. This is why, in October 2020, 100+ companies came together to launch CEO Action for Racial Equity, a first-of-its-kind initiative that mobilizes talent and resources from across Corporate America.”
– Tim Ryan, PwC US Chairman and CEO Action for D&I Steering Committee head
Our Strategic Foundation
Five areas underpin our success to date. Going forward, we will rely on these areas for a solid and enduring foundation.
- Our portfolio amplifies the interdependencies that exist between our public policy, corporate engagement, and focus areas.
- Our portfolio creates space for meaningful and sustainable action with increased stakeholder alignment and collaboration across multiple areas.
We built positive brand recognition, both locally and nationally, with policymakers and key organizations across the political spectrum and the corporate engagement eco-system.
Dedicated and committed, we leverage the collective “superpower” of our diverse signatories and talented Fellows to engage over 700 organizations to help us attain our mission.
Our Fellows, both active and alum, are the heart, soul, and backbone of the Fellowship. They experienced transformative growth, both from a skillset perspective and from the work itself. The work of the Fellowship does not stop. It has a multiplier effect that continues to extend into many facets of their lives – both personally and professionally.
Using data, research, and analytics, we established key performance indicators (KPIs) that track advocacy, education, and awareness.
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Our KPIs:
1. Reinforce the Fellowship’s brand as a data-driven organization that is underpinned by action.
2. Provide a common language for communication and measurement.
Our data-driven approach informed our tracking of successes and progress. They include:
1. Policy-related legislative and advocacy activities, including advocacy letters and written testimony.
2. Interactive educational sessions focused primarily on corporate engagement.
3. Targeted efforts to raise awareness and influence supportive action, including panel participation and event sponsorships.
A Local Approach
- The Fellowship influenced Oakland’s Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District study to include a racial equity lens to affordable housing and convinced the Oakland City Council to include the highly Black populated East Oakland area in the study.
- Our place-based, state, and civic engagement focus leverages long-standing community knowledge, expertise, and leadership to drive our relevant portfolio solutions at the grassroots level.
Education and Opportunity
- A Massachusetts Early Childhood Education bill – to be introduced in the 2023 legislative session – includes four out of five CEOARE racial equity priorities. They include loan forgiveness, grant funding and fairness, data collection, and implicit bias and cultural competency.
- 45 signatories committed to do more in the HBCU space, selecting 24 distinct HBCUs to work with and support programs.
Economic Empowerment
- 30 signatories aligned to a Business Diversity pledge, aspiring to increase equity for Black suppliers, create more access to capital and networks for Black suppliers, and develop growth and scale opportunities for Black suppliers.
- 18 signatories committed to review their hiring practices to be more equitable towards the justice involved communities, with four starting pilot programs and hiring from this untapped talent pool.
Healthy Communities
- CEOARE advocated for the USDA to close the food insecurity gap by reassessing and modernizing the benefit allocation formula used by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), resulting in a historic 27% increase in SNAP benefits.
- The 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act extended vital healthcare policies through 2024. The Fellowship successfully advocated to help avoid the “telehealth cliff,” where virtual care flexibilities were temporary and limited to the duration of the public health emergency.
Public Safety
- We released a report which provides a framework for accountability databases that could be a viable source for future local, state, and federal policy.
- To incentivize states to end the practice of debt-based driver’s license suspensions, CEOARE advocated for The Driving for Opportunity Act, which passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support and moved to the full U.S. Senate (October 2021).
What are our stakeholders saying?
Looking Ahead
We united with passion and purpose! We built a place where CEOs and their employees can come together to drive action for the betterment of society.
Feedback on our work from the business community, advisors and community leaders has been tremendous.
There is great excitement about the momentum built and admiration for our journey and achievements, thus far.
Going forward, we will continue to execute our public policy and corporate engagement strategies, hone our approach to areas of focus, grow our relationships, and expand our network of signatories and Fellows.
Through our actions, we will continue to help corporate America use its unique and impactful voice to drive actions that close disparities in the Black community and brings us all closer to racial equity.
Join Us and Take a Stand
Contact us to join our Fellowship community and amplify your efforts with those who are collectively seeking to make a societal difference.
Click here for a full list of companies who have joined us.