When philanthropy leaders speak out, we all listen.
Who are the “we” that we are talking about? “We” are the educators, the activists, and the people from all fields and disciplines who apply for funding to do work that furthers our missions.
When our missions align with those of our funders, our projects change the world in a positive way. When philanthropy leaders speak out, NGOs and INGOs may even change the ways in which they work.
We see evidence of this in the success of the Lever for Change project. Lever for Change took a bold stance that required every proposal - regardless of the challenge topic or focus community - to address issues of disability justice as part of equity and inclusion commitments. This challenged applicant organizations not only to plan projects that would benefit people with disabilities, but also to strategize how their projects would benefit from disabled people as leaders, staff, decision-makers, role models, consultants, and experts. With this innovative approach, Lever for Change asked its applicants to expand their disability justice lens to be bolder and broader, and to flip the script on the role of people with disabilities in driving social change.
Throughout my years with Mobility International USA (MIUSA), I have often observed environments, movements, and entire industries in which people with disabilities were rarely if ever considered, let alone represented. That’s because disability inclusion doesn’t just happen by accident. On one hand, it may require coordination with the disability community to infiltrate new spaces, even if – and especially if – those spaces are not perceived to be “for” us. On the other hand, true disability inclusion requires effort and intention from the people who are already in those spaces. Industry leaders, event planners, and others along the way need to work from the mindset that people with disabilities belong and are needed and to plan – and budget for – accordingly.
When philanthropy leaders speak out, NGOs and INGOs may even change the ways in which they work.
Susan Sygall, Mobility International USA
Many things can spark that type of inclusive mindset. A $100 million grant incentive like the MacArthur’s 100&Change competition is certainly one of them! With such a sizeable award, an organization has the possibility to create real systems change, and have a powerful impact on people’s lives. With such an enormous opportunity, going for the bare minimum in terms of inclusion just isn’t going to cut it!
What makes the Lever for Change model so successful, in part, is that applicants must elaborate on their strategy not only for disability inclusion, but disability justice, rights, and leadership. Those who apply a disability rights lens to their vision in innovative ways will have the competitive edge. Each competition directs applicants to explain how people with disabilities will be included in all aspects of the project as participants and as leaders. Equally important, all applicants must incorporate accommodations and other accessibility costs into project budgets, to reflect the disability-inclusive plans articulated in their applications.
Once these small – but significant – changes in the application process were made, something incredible happened. Suddenly many organizations were asking themselves for the first time: what does intentional disability inclusion look like? And what does it look like in a project related to strengthening democracy, or serving refugees, or cleaning up the oceans? And beyond disability inclusion, what does it mean to leverage the expertise of disabled leaders?
Lever for Change knew that many finalist organizations would need technical assistance to answer these questions, which is why it partnered with a disability-led organization – namely, MIUSA – to offer consulting to key staff from each finalist organization about how they could infuse principles of disability inclusion and justice into their proposed project. This often led to discussions how the broader organization could expand inclusive practices, for example by partnering with organizations led by disabled people (as Lever for Change has done) and updating organizational policies, programming, staff training, outreach, communications, hiring practices, data collection, budgeting, and more. (See the Disability Access and Inclusion Checklist self-assessment tool developed for applicants of Lever for Change competitions)
Finalist organization staff were more than just receptive to conversations around disability inclusion throughout the competition process; they positively lit up. Before, most had understood the importance of including people with disabilities but just didn’t know how to begin. Others simply hadn’t made the connection that disability is an essential aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Or, perhaps it hadn’t occurred to them, that even if their organization’s work doesn’t center around disability, they can create and contribute to a more disability-positive world. With new ideas and perspectives – and a budget line item – these finalists began to recognize disability inclusion as a way to enhance their work, reach more people, and make a greater impact.
Here’s what started to happen: One group of finalists started thinking about how to make their health centers accessible in its locations around the globe. For a different team in a different competition, it was how to make its playgrounds across Africa accessible so that children with and without disabilities can experience play together. One organization started strategizing how to hire people with disabilities as consultants and taking steps to proactively do so. One committed to including disability community leaders to be part of think tanks to advise on solar power. Yet another reflected on their educational resources for refugees and how to present them in formats that could be accessible to consumers with disabilities. And all of the finalists, across all competitions and all proposals, structured their budgets to include reasonable accommodations to ensure that all of these endeavors were supported.
Only by prioritizing accessibility and inclusion will we unlock the full potential of every individual, enriching our communities and society.
Cecilia Conrad, Lever for Change
In the world of social change, any initiative that leaves out 17% of the world’s population (which is the global population of people with disabilities) cannot truly be considered innovative. With support from disabled experts, NGOs can embed disability inclusion throughout their practices and programs, and as a result, enhance their work to solve the world's most critical challenges.
We have seen that, when the philanthropy world takes the lead, the NGO community will follow. This is just as true when philanthropy leaders champion disability justice as a value. According to Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, “The world of philanthropy has reached an inflection point. As we shift more power to communities of problem solvers and reimagine the status quo, we must lead with innovation and inclusivity. A key component of this new approach is focusing on people with disabilities. Our sector has a unique opportunity and responsibility to take the lead. Only by prioritizing accessibility and inclusion will we unlock the full potential of every individual, enriching our communities and society.”
Still, more needs to be done. One unfinished aspect of this quest is to hold the winning organizations accountable to ensure that they are in fact meeting their commitments to disability inclusion and leadership, and to find out what support they need to take those next steps. We would want to know, for example, what those disability-inclusive efforts look like, and how did they impact the communities in which the projects took place? What challenges presented themselves, and what other interventions are needed? And of course, how can these learnings be shared among a broader community of practice?
The truth is that when funders speak, everybody listens. When funders and the world of philanthropy take a bold stand to move from “requesting access” to “requiring access,” then people with disabilities – who have historically been excluded – are inevitably, positively included in ways that will enhance the success of every initiative in every project.
On behalf of everyone at MIUSA, I want to recognize Lever for Change for its work to connect the donor community to those organizations making positive changes in the world, while leading by example to show how disability inclusion is inseparable from “bold solutions.”
