In 2019, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched Expanding Equity to help companies transform into more equitable places of opportunity. Since then, we have dedicated thousands of hours to working hand-in-hand with more than 100 companies to develop and implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies. These strategies are designed to be grounded in each company’s data, tailored to its specific context, and built to withstand the uncertainties of an ever-evolving business environment and talent market. These efforts offer a unique perspective on how organizations can best unlock the benefits of DEI for their business, workers and communities – all included in our retrospective report available below.
Program Reach
100+ companies across 10+ industries with 600+ leaders participating
3.5M U.S.-based employees are indirectly impacted by their company’s new DEI strategy
1.2M children under 18 indirectly impacted in working families across the U.S. based on average household size
Program Insights
01
Make DEI Everyone’s Job
Best in class DEI is embedded through the organization
Leading companies embed DEI throughout their organization and view it as a critical part of their broader business strategy. They do not think of DEI as a stand-alone role, group or function, but believe that leaders across the organization share accountability for DEI progress.
02
Anchor on Inclusion and Belonging
A culture of inclusion and belonging is foundational for an effective, holistic DEI strategy
Expanding Equity organizes DEI strategies across four pillars: Attract, Belong, Promote and Influence. While the most effective DEI strategies span all four, leading organizations report more progress when they emphasize inclusion in the belong pillar, in particular.
03
Identify Your DEI Archetype
There’s no one-size-fits all approach to DEI strategy implementation
Based on observations of Expanding Equity companies, organizations often follow one of four archetypes when designing and advancing their DEI strategy, after reflecting on how other successful strategic efforts have built support and gained traction. The four archetypes are:
- Data-Driven - What does the data say?
- Senior Leadership-Driven - What do our senior leaders think?
- Best Practice-Driven - What are our peers doing?
- Worker-Driven - What do our people think?
Download the full report
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This report demonstrates that when organizations commit to prioritizing DEI as organizational strategies, real impacts are felt. The insights are actionable for any leader looking to build more inclusive, fair and equitable workplaces, which contributes to stronger communities where all families have opportunities to thrive.
La June Montgomery Tabron
President and CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation -
Roughly 90% of Expanding Equity companies have made measurable progress in advancing DEI strategies in their organizations.
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We were just trying to do a lot of different things. I think the Expanding Equity program gave us a chance to pause, step back a little bit, look at our data and be more thoughtful about what our initiatives could be.
DEI leader
Consumer Goods Company -
The question is not if companies are investing in DEI but how they can best approach DEI efforts to maximize their effectiveness.
About Expanding Equity
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) is committed to ensuring all children, families and communities have opportunities to reach their full potential. Companies in the private sector play an essential role in creating those opportunities for people of all backgrounds in their workplaces and communities. Through the Expanding Equity program, WKKF is helping more workplaces transform into more equitable places of opportunity.