How Foundations Can Create Pathways for Disabled Professionals to Excel in Leadership Roles
This article explores the importance of creating pathways to disability leadership roles in foundations, unveiling a vision that enriches grantmaking decisions.
Foundations have long played pivotal roles in addressing societal challenges. Disability leadership is a vital yet often overlooked part of this work, where the voices and experiences of disabled individuals can bring distinct perspectives that broaden and deepen a foundation’s impact.
This article explores the critical importance of creating pathways to disability leadership roles in foundations, unveiling a transformative vision that deeply enriches grantmaking decisions and the culture of your organization.
Understanding the Potential of Disabled Professionals: Debunking Misconceptions
One major barrier that disabled professionals encounter is the prevalence of misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding their capabilities. Many people believe that individuals with disabilities are not fit for leadership positions due to physical or cognitive differences. However, research has consistently shown that people with disabilities possess skills and talents that make them valuable assets in professional environments.
People who experience disabilities often develop exceptional problem-solving skills through lived disability experience that enriches the work they contribute to. This quality is a result of navigating a world that largely views their needs as irrelevant or burdensome. By debunking the misconceptions surrounding disabled professionals, foundations can tap into a vast pool of talent and enhance the overall performance of their organization.
The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Diversity and inclusion are essential components of a successful organization. By ensuring our understanding of diversity includes individuals with disabilities, organizations can harness the power of different perspectives, experiences, and skills. This can lead to innovative solutions, improved decision-making processes, and in some cases, market expansion for your product or service.
Creating an inclusive work environment fosters a sense of belonging among all employees. When individuals feel valued and accepted, they are more likely to contribute their best work and remain engaged in their roles. Organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion not only attract top talent but also create a positive reputation that can attract customers and clients who value inclusivity.
The Importance of Disabled Leadership in Grantmaking
A 2019 survey of 1,000 foundations from Candid found that:
Just 2% of funding supports disability, with most money allocated for support and services.
Only 0.1% of funding supports disability rights and social justice.
As a funder, whether you focus on disability funding or not, it is essential to emphasize the significance of disabled leadership.
All foundations fund people with disabilities, even if they don’t realize it, because one in four people have a disability. As humans, we do not exist in silos of singular identity; so many facets of our experience and environment make up the tapestry of our identity. Disabled leaders are crucial in every area because they add perspective and nuance to projects and programs, making them more accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities through their lived experience and connections in their community.
Disability-related work is not just about technical assistance; it is about culture change, and as funders, we can support that change by removing barriers to leadership positions. Developing an intersectional approach in your foundation is crucial to improving funding opportunities for potential grantees that serve people with disabilities and helping other community-based organizations recognize how their services impact disabled individuals.
Expertise
Disabled leaders often have expertise in disability-related issues, policies, and organizations. Their knowledge can help foundations identify high-impact projects and allocate resources more effectively to relevant initiatives.
Cultural Competence
Disabled leaders can ensure that grant-making processes are culturally competent and respectful of the diverse experiences within the disability community. They can help foundations avoid potential pitfalls, like tokenism.
Funding Prioritization
With disabled leadership, foundations may prioritize funding projects that address systemic issues and promote social change rather than solely focusing on individual interventions. This can lead to more impactful and sustainable initiatives.
Evaluation and Accountability
Disabled leaders can help ensure that funded projects are accountable for their outcomes and impact on the disability community. They can use their expertise to set meaningful evaluation criteria that go beyond simple metrics.
Community Connections
Disabled leaders often have connections within the disability community, including relationships with other organizations, activists, and individuals. These connections can be invaluable for identifying and reaching potential grantees.
Cultivating an environment where disabled leaders can thrive requires a commitment to prioritizing disability inclusion and accessibility. It means you must consistently address physical, digital, attitudinal, and cultural barriers that limit relationship-building and career progression for disabled individuals.
How to Leverage Your Grantmaking to Empower Disability Identities
There are many paths to leadership within foundations for people with disabilities. While developing your internal strategies to build more inclusion in your organization, you can begin positively impacting the organizations you fund. It is essential to incorporate a deliberate and comprehensive strategy for promoting disability inclusion and leadership in your grantmaking process. Here are some key steps and initiatives.
Explicit Questions in Grant Applications
Include explicit questions in grant applications that focus on the organization's commitment to disability inclusion and leadership. For example, ask if the organization has disabled individuals in leadership positions, or if they have specific programs aimed at developing disabled leaders.
Scoring and Evaluation
Assign specific points in the evaluation process for the presence of disabled leaders within an organization. Consider weighting this criterion alongside other key factors like the project's impact, innovation, and sustainability.
Compensation for Disabled Individuals
Encourage grantees to provide equitable compensation to disabled individuals who are involved in their projects or initiatives. Disabled individuals often face barriers to economic advancement along with additional expenses related to their disabilities, and fair compensation can ensure their full participation and representation.
Mentorship and Networking
Support programs that facilitate mentorship and networking opportunities for disabled leaders. These can include both internal mentoring programs within organizations and external networks to connect disabled leaders with peers and role models.
Disability-Led Projects and Organizations
Prioritize funding for projects and organizations that disabled individuals already lead. By prioritizing disability-led initiatives, foundations can help create more opportunities for disabled leaders and amplify their voices.
Accessible Grant Application Process
Ensure that the grant application process itself is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Ability Central has an article about Accessible Grant Cycle Promotion you can check out to learn more.
Continuous Monitoring and Reporting
Require grantees to report on their progress in promoting disability leadership and inclusion regularly. Encourage self-assessment and improvement strategies. Foundations can use these reports to assess the impact of their initiatives and adjust their approach if necessary.
Public Recognition and Promotion
Highlight successful examples of disability leadership within the organizations you support. Use their stories to inspire others and showcase the positive outcomes of disability-inclusive grantmaking.
Collaboration and Peer Learning
Encourage grantees to collaborate and learn from one another's experiences. Creating a supportive community of organizations committed to disability inclusion can be a powerful catalyst for change.
Resources
Explore LearnAbility, Ability Central’s professional development project, for in-depth resources that support inclusive and accessible grantmaking practices. Check out our other articles in this series.
We’re updating LearnAbility with new content regularly, so more articles and resources will become available all the time.
Alyah Thomas is the Accessibility and Engagement Specialist at Ability Central. She supports the organization by bridging gaps between programs, facilitating community engagement, serving as a subject matter expert, and sharing information with others on their accessibility journey.
Alyah holds a bachelor's degree in Deaf Studies from California State University, Northridge, an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Fund Development from the University of Notre Dame, and is an accredited Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. With a keen eye for detail and an interest in fostering inclusive environments, Alyah has been engaging with disabled communities and working to improve access to communication and information in various capacities for more than a decade.