Announcing RE-Tool: Racial Equity in the Panel Process

A discussion tool to encourage racial equity in the review and selection process of artists and arts organizations.

Download RE-Tool (pdf)

Valuing racial equity requires examining how our organizational practices can support equitable outcomes by assessing/addressing racial disparities and inequity. The panel process for selecting artists and arts organizations involves a system of often unquestioned activities—assumed to be inherently impartial —that directly impact funding or arts participation outcomes.

To address racial equity in the panel process, we must actively investigate who has access to opportunities and who doesn’t. Put another way, anti-racist grantmakers must design and implement systems and protocols that increase access and decrease barriers for historically under-resourced groups.

How this tool was created

In 2015, a small group of peers in arts philanthropy were in conversation about issues of equity in the grant panel selection process. As panel moderators and administrators, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to understand our own practices and habits through the lens of racial equity. In establishing equity, we want to look beyond the language of mission statements and examine the nuts and bolts of how we actually operate our programs: panelist selection, moderator training/lack thereof, the tone of the panel room, etc.

In the fall of 2017, with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, we were able to expand the group of five to a racially diverse group of twelve and to hire a Project Manager/Facilitator to support us in operationalizing equity practices in the organizations where we work.

As a “leave-behind” from our work together we created this RE-Tool for racial equity in the panel process.