PolicyLink

As equity becomes the beacon for the nation, we must confront the reality that “Winning on Equity” requires addressing the structural, political, and cultural barriers that have held back the nation since its founding. And, just as PolicyLink ignited the racial equity movement 20 years ago, PolicyLink now leads with a vision to redesign the nation so that it works for all and realizes the promise of equity. PolicyLink operates on multiple fronts to dismantle oppressive structures of inequality, racism, and exclusion to achieve structural reforms and advance racial and economic equity. Our future work is rooted in three big ideas that connect all three sectors of our society.

Movement leaders must be aligned and focused on structural reforms.
Government must become antiracist.
Corporate leaders must become real champions of racial equity.

By Lifting Up What Works, our policy initiatives uniquely bridge innovations and ideas from social movements, government agencies, and the most influential corporations. And as backbone infrastructure to the racial equity movement, and in partnership with movement leaders and institutional allies, PolicyLink will align movement leaders to each other and to the resources they need to maximize impact.

PolicyLink is committed to ensuring every equity policy and investment provides significant, sustained support to the over 100 million people in America that are living at or near poverty, and serves as a catalyst for an equitable economy, an inclusive and compassionate society, and a strong, accountable democracy. PolicyLink is doing everything in its power to make this moment in the nation’s history one that delivers results for the 100 million.

PolicyLink is directing our strategic engagements to three domains in support of Winning on Equity:

Changing the Rules of the Game for Democracy and the Economy - Rebalance public and private sector power by reconstructing the legal and regulatory framework of America to be: 1) anti-racist to achieve racial equity, 2) an accountable multiracial democracy, and 3) free of economic oppression.


Building Power through Movement Infrastructure - Increase the impact of equity movement leaders by providing them with the data, policy ideas, money, visibility, and network power to accelerate achieving transformative policy wins.


Reimagining Communities - Partner with local leadership to deliver racially just, economically inclusive and ecologically sustainable cities, regions and states. Opportunity-rich, healthy communities will honor the dignity of every person with equitable investments in critical infrastructure, including good jobs, community safety, arts and culture, stable and affordable housing, anti-racist human services,quality education, and clean water.

The PolicyLink programmatic initiatives are organized within three interlocking, mutually reinforcing areas of work:

From Racialized Economic Inequality to an Equitable Economy. An equitable economy where the market serves the people, where the government produces and regulates the flow of money as a commodity that is available to all, where work is honored with compensation that affords self-determination and mobility, and where wealth produced by the many is enjoyed by the many. Economic participation is essential to reversing inequality, improving mobility, and growing the middle class. PolicyLink Equitable Economy initiatives focus on creating good jobs, expanding entrepreneurship, and building human capabilities, which will lead to a future in which there is full economic inclusion, where poverty has been eliminated, inequality has been reduced, and social mobility is greater.

From Suppressed and Constrained Governance to a Multicultural, Engaged Democracy and Just Society. A flourishing multiracial democracy, inclusive of antiracist governments and equitable governing structures that protect human, social, environmental, spatial and political rights and advance the power and well being of all people in all places. Even as the equity movement succeeds in growing a more inclusive economy and building opportunity-rich communities, millions of people will remain shut out unless the nation unchains democracy to free the voice and will of all people. This is an essential step toward dismantling the fundamental barriers that are deeply woven into the fabric of our government and democracy that block progress on every issue and in every community. PolicyLink initiatives advocate for reforms so systems and institutions operate free of racial bias, which will lead to a future in which all systems and institutions are just, free of racial bias, and in which there is a vibrant democracy where all, especially the most vulnerable, can participate and prosper.

From Segregation and Isolation to Healthy Communities of Opportunity. A new model of thriving communities, where families of color can prosper through equitable infrastructure investments, a sustainable and resilient built-environment, diverse and inclusive social organizations, and conditions of safety, security and justice. To participate in economic life, people must live in healthy, safe, stable places connected to opportunity and resources, which will lead to a future where equitable development, infrastructure investments, networks and social capital enable low-income people and communities of color to experience optimal health and thrive.

PolicyLink is highly disciplined in selecting the projects it undertakes and in the approach it brings to executing them. While building and managing a portfolio of initiatives that touch on a range of issues, PolicyLink aims to meaningfully advance the equity agenda—measured by real results on the ground— and each project is pursued via a well-developed set of principles and capacities that have evolved based on experience. The core elements of the approach, which have enabled PolicyLink to help deliver billions of dollars in policy victories at the local, state, and national levels for local communities, are as follows.

1. Driven by a strategic equity framework: employs a dynamic, nuanced, and multifaceted communications and research agenda that continuously defines the national equity narrative.

2. Grounded in place: develops strategies to improve people’s lives in the context of the places where they live.

3. Deals honestly and straightforwardly with issues of race: achieves equity results through an uncompromised command of the nuances of structural and overt racism.

4. Comprehensive and integrated: aggregates strategies and policies; works across sectors; and simultaneously engages community, government, and business leaders.

5. Solutions­ oriented: crafts policy based on a positive, inclusive framing that harnesses the creativity and will of diverse sectors.

6. Results­ based: grounds policy advocacy in a results framework focused on the 100 million Americans living in or near poverty.

7. Informed by disaggregated data: all policy strategies and campaigns are supported by data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, nativity, class, and gender.

8. Expands agency and power: leads with the voice, wisdom, and experience of local residents and organizations in policy development and advocacy.

9. Builds capacity: maintains a track record of building strong leaders at strong organizations by working in partnership, conducting trainings, and providing coaching and mentorship opportunities.

10. Backed by partnerships and networks: solves complex problems through strong and diverse partnerships.

PolicyLink has meaningfully contributed to advancing the national equity agenda— anchored in place, informed by disaggregated data, measured by real results on the ground, and based on a deep understanding of the nuances of structural and overt racism. Below are some examples of the PolicyLink portfolio.

• Promise Neighborhoods: Twelve communities are implementing over $800 million in programming to improve educational outcomes for 300,000 children.
• Healthy Food Financing: Delivered over $1 billion in resources to create access to healthy food in low-income communities.
Sustainable Communities: With $250 million in support, piloted the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule to ensure fair housing and create communities of opportunity.
• My Brother's Keeper: Supported the federal government and philanthropy to design and launch the nation's premier boys and men of color initiative and supported over 50 cities to advance boys and men of color programs.
• All-In Cities: Cities are resurgent, and they are the crucibles where ambitious strategies can and must be forged to grow an economy and a society that work for all. PolicyLink is facilitating efforts in twelve cities, from Pittsburgh to New Orleans to Oakland, to advance creative solutions that foster equitable growth, community revitalization, and democratic engagement.
National Equity Atlas. This online Atllas, with easily searchable economic data analyzed by race, ethnicity, nativity, and gender, has become an indispensable tool for 30,000 users as they campaign for equity-focused policy change. Released in 2014 and continually updated, the Atlas contains unique data on demographic shifts and the economic benefits of equity for the nation's 150 largest regions, all 50 states, the 100 largest cities, and the United States as a whole.
California Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. The Alliance has secured more than 100 state and local policy victories to improve the health, education, and economic prospects of the Alliance's constituents.
National Equity Summits. Every three years, PolicyLink convenes a one-of-kind national summit with over 3,000 attendees, focused explicitly on equity, creating a deep reservoir of intellectual, strategic, and innovative thought for feeding and sustaining the equity movement.

PolicyLink serves as a backbone organization for the equity movement and will mobilize its network of 100,000+ equity leaders and facilitate the process of aligning individuals and organizations in service of crafting a national “winning-on-equity” agenda. PolicyLink will lead the way in advancing a people-centered movement capable of moving equity ideas into the policy mainstream. PolicyLink and its partners will play a long game, over decades, with an eye on capturing the highest ground of American politics: law, fiscal policy, regulation, and the narrative frames of public discussion.