Equity is often overlooked in grant management, particularly in the aspects of program design, implementation, and participation. This raises the question, are resources being used to support communities where diversity impacts their access and ability to benefit from the programs funded by grants?

This article explores:

• What is an equity assessment?
• What are the benefits of an equity assessment?
• Why are equity assessments important in grant-funded work?
• When is an equity assessment recommended?

What Is an Equity Assessment?

Equity assessments, sometimes referred to as equity audits, of grant programs involve collecting and analyzing information, usually through multiple data-gathering processes, to determine if a program is equitable to each member of the community.

Equity assessments play a crucial role in grant-funded work by examining how various groups, particularly those facing inequity or disparities, are affected by policies, programs, or processes. They help ensure fair distribution, build trust and community engagement, improve project outcomes, and meet grant requirements.

Defining Equity

Equity is the notion that people should be treated uniquely by public policy based on their situation and needs, rather than treating everyone the same. Factors to consider can include socioeconomic status, ability, family history, and more. Peoples’ needs are unique, and government services should reflect that.

Purpose of Equity Assessments

Equity assessments aim to:

• Reduce unintended adverse outcomes and increase opportunities and positive outcomes in program development
• Be flexible in application, ranging from rapid reviews to continuous improvement efforts
• Inform new policy proposals, improve existing programs, and help grant recipients direct their activities
• Help deliver resources and benefits more equitably

Types of Equity Assessments

• High-level enterprise-wide equity assessment to help pinpoint future areas of focus
• Targeted assessment to identify inequities in an existing program, service, or function

What Data Do You Need and Have?

Your data should address the following issues:

• Goal driven. Does the program have clear equity goals? Are you tracking data relative to goals?
• Demographic-level. Are you assessing subpopulations that may have disparate impacts? Is there data relating to subpopulations?
• Impact-driven. Where might disparate—positive or negative—impacts occur? Is there data on those impacts?
• Internal versus external. Is the program evaluation inward or outward focused? Is data tracked internally or proactively gathered externally?

What Are the Benefits of an Equity Assessment?

The key benefits of an equity assessment are as follows:

• Provide a baseline for understanding current areas of inequity and opportunities to improve equity in public programs and services
• Identify inequitable policies, practices, procedures, and the effects of those on impacted communities
• Uncover programs and services that exclude or are inaccessible to certain groups or inadvertently create inequity either in their design or implementation
• Develop meaningful action plans for addressing identified equity issues and reassessing those issues and their status as community needs change over time

Why Are Equity Assessments Important in Grant-Funded Work?

Equity assessments promote fairness, inclusivity, and social justice in the allocation and distribution of resources.

Below are some key goals equity assessments aim to accomplish and why they’re important in the context of grant-funded projects.

Promote Fair Resource Distribution

Equity assessments help ensure resources provided through grants are distributed fairly and reach populations that may have historically been marginalized or underrepresented. This is crucial for addressing systemic inequalities and promoting social justice.

Build Trust and Community Engagement

Equity assessments involve engaging with the communities the grant-funded work aims to serve. This community engagement builds trust and ensures the project is responsive to the actual needs of the community, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.

Improve Project Outcomes

By addressing equity considerations, organizations can improve the overall effectiveness and sustainability of grant-funded projects. Understanding and addressing the unique needs of different communities can lead to better outcomes and long-term impact.

Meet Grant Requirements

There’s an increasing trend of grant programs requiring organizations to demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion as part of their funding applications. Equity assessments provide a structured way for organizations to demonstrate how they’ll address and measure these considerations throughout the project lifecycle.

When Is an Equity Assessment Recommended?

An equity assessment is important whenever:

• You, your department, or your organization has an opportunity to make or influence decisions, policies, practices, programs, or processes that could affect equitable outcomes
• Prior organizational decisions, policies, programs, etc. have failed to address community needs or were inequitable in their design or implementation

We’re Here to Help

To learn more about the benefits of an equity assessment, contact your Moss Adams professional.

Additional Resources

• Programmatic Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Services
• Grant Compliance Services