Design for Equity

Education First sees setting clear priorities and articulating an explicit theory of action as essential beginning steps for organizations seeking to make education outcomes more equitable; we also know that execution and implementation matter just as much. Designing for equity means creating new efforts with those most proximate to the problems to be solved engaged, whether the program is a new grantmaking strategy or Request for Proposal (RFP) process for community partners, a new solution to a persistent problem, a partnership with another organization to accomplish new things together, or the planning, implementation and follow-through needed after a new policy has been adopted. As organizations make choices about how to design their programs, we work alongside leaders to examine how these choices affect communities, how to ensure a continued focus on real problems, how to avoid unintended consequences and how to measure progress. We also help you identify and weigh different program elements, by developing and testing prototypes before trying something at scale and by carefully assessing organizational capacity and assets.