Develop DEI strategies using Progressing Forward’s Framework
Our signature Progressing Forward DEI Framework guides organizations through a structured, equity-centered process to build sustainable strategies rooted in data, cultural competencies, and intentional change. Grounded in relationship-building and reflective of each organization’s unique context, this framework supports leaders in embedding DEI into every layer of their mission and operations.
We work with nonprofits, educational institutions, and arts & culture organizations to move from awareness to action—with an approach that is people-centered, competency-driven, and impact-focused.
Core Components of the Framework:
Relationship-Centered Foundation: Establishing and cultivating trust-based relationships among staff, leadership, and community partners as the foundation for authentic DEI work.
Defining “The Why”: Helping organizations articulate their unique purpose for pursuing cultural change and anchoring DEI efforts in shared values.
Strategic Discovery: Uncovering key internal and external elements needed to inform DEI initiatives, including organizational culture, policy gaps, and stakeholder readiness.
Competency Assessment: Evaluating current workplace competencies to identify strengths and growth areas related to equity, inclusion, and intercultural understanding.
Proactive & Responsive Strategy Development: Designing and implementing DEI strategies that address both immediate needs and systemic barriers—past and present.
Communications & Accountability Planning: Integrating strategic messaging and internal communications plans to support transparency, alignment, and long-term momentum.
Capacity Building Across Roles: Offering tailored coaching and strategy support for CEOs, Executive Directors, senior leadership, board members, and staff to ensure alignment and ownership across all levels of the organization.
Whether your team is just beginning its DEI journey or ready to deepen its commitment, Progressing Forward’s Framework provides a clear path toward transformative, equity-rooted growth.
The Progressing Forward DEI Framework offers organizations a structured pathway to confront and transform the deeply rooted inequities that exist within their culture, systems, and practices. By taking a closer look at how historical and present-day barriers have shaped operations, this model supports stakeholders in acknowledging, decentering, and dismantling exclusionary norms.
More than a checklist, the framework empowers individuals and teams to use tools, practices, and competencies that influence how they lead, communicate, and build equity-driven outcomes. As stakeholders apply this learning, they begin to shape culture—developing new solutions and practices that reflect their evolving values and mission.
True DEI progress requires intentionality. That’s why our framework is not one-size-fits-all—it is customized for your organization and designed to be applied at every level: by individual leaders, within specific departments or programs, and across the entire organizational structure. Without this kind of layered, intentional approach, DEI strategies risk being performative or unsustainable.
