By moss+ross Team.
moss+ross approaches each client engagement as an opportunity to ask: are we doing the work that recognizes diversity and builds inclusivity and equity? What does this look like in our day-to-day work, in our strategic visioning, and in our reflections on current events as well as history? We only get better as we work together – and keep doing the work.
Our clients are doing the work, day in and day out. The moss+ross team works alongside our clients, learning from one another, guiding strategy based on our experiences, and understanding what it means to be accountable. We support our clients as they do the work, including these examples:
Many nonprofits are lifting up Black History in ways that are authentic to their missions, including the Durham Sports Commission and UNC Athletics which are featuring Black influencers in sport; Durham Chamber of Commerce, honoring Black historical figures from Durham; the Triangle DEI Alliance of the Raleigh Chamber, which launched a video series to feature community submissions of favorite historical Black figures; and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, honoring noted Black leaders in the community-supported agriculture industry.
Other clients are celebrating recent milestones that help fulfill their visions for a more inclusive community, such as Habitat for Humanity of Orange County which recently completed homeowner applications for Weavers Grove, a new mixed-income housing community; and Southeast Raleigh Promise, which broke ground in December for Beacon Point, a community hub for equitable opportunities in partnership with Southeast Raleigh residents.
Still more are creating opportunities for community involvement in education, including the Chatham Education Foundation, which teams with Chatham County Schools and community partners to fund innovation, classroom grants, and pilot programs in the schools; the Public School Forum of North Carolina, which has named addressing the root causes of mental health and school safety as one of their top five education issues for 2023; and the Durham Public Schools Foundation with its WHOLE Schools Movement, a community-rooted approach to addressing mental health in schools.
Many clients are looking in the mirror, including the NC Rural Center which has done extensive work to address becoming more equitable as an organization and address racism, discrimination, and systemic inequities in rural communities; Harmony, working to support the growth of LGBTQ+ businesses and professionals in the Triangle; and the YMCA of the Triangle, which is connecting as a staff community across all 17 branches to strengthen the organization through diversity and equity. As we work with our Executive Search clients on developing job descriptions and criteria for hiring, all are seeking to engage new communities and think more broadly about how opportunity is offered within their organizations.
Client community events engage the community in the work, including the Museum of Life and Science’s Black Excellence in Science program; Museum of Durham History (sponsor of Spectacular Magazine’s 20th Annual NC MLK Black History Month parade); Black History Month lectures, performances and exhibitions at UNC; and the AFP Triangle’s BIPOC Fundraisers Community gathering. At the City of Durham’s recent Affordable Housing Implementation Committee meeting, DataWorks NC educated public officials and community members on historical land use and policy that influence today’s affordable housing equity. The City is currently asking for community input on the Durham Comprehensive Plan, which guides how Durham will grow and use land in the future.
moss+ross is in its 15th year strengthening nonprofits because our clients keep doing the work. We are proud of the work we do in collaboration with our clients, pursuing our shared vision for living in a just and equitable community.
