People are at the centre of everything we do.

At Springboard, we are committed to creating a truly inclusive community where all individuals prosper and flourish. To support this objective, we have begun by examining our own governance, culture, programs and operations to ensure we are inclusive and equitable in all that we do.

During its strategic and operational planning processes in the spring of 2020, the Board of Directors committed to developing an organizational action plan to guide Springboard’s efforts in addressing systemic discrimination and racism. As a first step, in recognition of Springboard’s representation of Black staff and clients, the Board supported the prioritization of actions on Anti-Black Racism (ABR) this year, while ensuring that we continue to mindfully consider impacts and initiatives in support of other racialized and marginalized communities – such as Indigenous people.

Last Fall, IDC Advisory Services (IDC) was engaged to undertake a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) review and assessment to inform this action plan. A committee comprised of staff across the agency was established to provide advice and insights to support the review. It has been meeting regularly since January 2021.

The findings of the IDC review span 7 organizational areas, which include:

1) Sustained organizational commitment, leadership and governance as it relates to DEI/ABR

2) Organizational climate and culture with an emphasis on creating a safe space for conversations on DEI/ABR

3) Organization-wide education and training across Springboard to promote a consistent understanding of DEI/ABR

4) Human resources, including the collection of the workforce composition and effective use of the data

5) Community capacity building and community collaboration, including partnerships, client satisfaction, outreach and culturally appropriate engagement as key stakeholders in organizational decision-making

6) Service planning and development, client management and service-based equity which includes client data collection, translation services and client engagement in decision-making

7) Service provision and delivery which includes a complaint and resolution process, program evaluation, communication supports and outreach strategy

Amongst the recommendations from the findings, these are some examples:

• Springboard is at the beginning of its DEI journey.
• Senior staff and Board composition lack diversity.
• There is a need for race-based data.
• Policies and practices need to be examined from a DEI lens.
• Springboard needs to provide staff with more transparency on Board activities and DEI.

The Staff Committee has prioritized the following 3 areas of focus from the above domains and is establishing an operational action plan for the coming year.

i) Organization-wide education and training across Springboard to promote a consistent understanding of DEI/ABR

ii) Organizational climate and culture with an emphasis on creating a safe space for conversations on DEI/ABR

iii) Sustained organizational commitment, leadership and governance as it relates to DEI/ABR

When these prioritized actions are determined, this Staff Committee will have fulfilled its mandate and will be winding up in the coming weeks. A dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff Committee will soon be established to provide oversight and advice on advancing the actions identified.

Additionally, the Board has made commitments to successfully integrate diversity, equity and inclusion in its governance structure and to additionally ensure alignment with the IDC findings. Governance Committee members led the due diligence in selecting Bloom Consulting who will be supporting the following comprehensive work in the coming year:

a) Cultural Competency Training will be undertaken with the full Board of Directors.

b) The Board will be developing a public facing position on DEI/ABR with clearly articulated commitments and an action plan.

c) A full review of all governance policies will be completed with a DEI lens, with additional policies created where there are gaps.

d) As Board vacancies occur, the Board has also committed to addressing diversity and representational gaps through an intentional recruitment strategy.

To enable a better understanding of its work and priorities, the Board Chair and Executive Director will also commit to share quarterly updates with staff.

Going forward, Springboard will be providing regular updates on its website and through other communications to report on the transformational journey it is making and lessons it is learning. We are truly committed to our DEI journey, knowing that it will have a deep and sustainable impact on the individuals and communities we support.

August 2021