Greetings from the Standards and Partnering Review Committee.

We appreciate your inquiry and believe this list of frequently asked questions and responses will assist you as you journey towards creating a racism-free environment within your organization.

How does PRFC define “racism-free?”

The Partners for a Racism-Free Community (PRFC) has defined “racism-free” as: the individual and systemic condition achieved when all persons, regardless of skin color, feel welcomed and wanted in all places and treat others the same way.

Why should our organization care about a racism-free community?

Experience, history and research all acknowledge that racism has had devastating consequences within our country and our community. All citizens want and expect the rights and privileges guaranteed by our constitution. Unfortunately, that condition is not a reality for all – even in the greater Grand Rapids area. Becoming a racism-free community requires more than dreams and hope. People and organizations need guidance, support, resources and recognition to move forward and take action.

Your organization might choose to engage in the PRFC standards and credentialing process because of in interest and/or commitment to:

• Building a more diverse workforce, congregation, customer base, and/or community

• Attracting talent to your organization and the greater community

• Maximizing the full potential of all of your stakeholders / constituents

• Supporting the retention of your stakeholders / constituents

• Challenging pre-existing ideas and practices that limit stakeholders

• Allowing your organization to invest in “doing the right thing”

• Expanding your market opportunities and increasing consumer and employee satisfaction

Why did the PRFC develop standards?

Consequently, the PRFC steering committee commissioned a multi-generational, as well as racially, socio-economically, and organizationally diverse team of individuals representing a cross-section of the Grand Rapids community to develop a set of guidelines that would:

• Support the PRFC vision of 50% of all organizations being designated as racism-free within ten years

• Provide a methodology organizations can use to assess their progress toward creating and sustaining a racism-free culture

• Facilitate the evaluation of activities designated to achieve specific results and/or outcomes

• Provide recognition as “community models” for organizations that are achieving positive results and/or outcomes

• Help organizations and the greater community recognize progress and partner with one another to achieve a greater good

• Identify, support, and leverage individuals and organizations that are striving to achieve a racism-free environment

• Help organizations proactively understand and support the diversity within their constituencies

• Provide guidance and a framework for partnering to eliminate racism

What does our organization need to do to get started?

Interested organizations will be asked to review the standards and complete an on-line assessment to gauge where you are today, guide your future toward being racism-free and begin you in the process of obtaining a partner designation

What are these “standards”?

The standards create a way to identify “partners” and refer to a set of key attributes and indicators developed to specifically assess and document organizational behavior in six target areas:

• Leadership Engagement – Evidence of leaders exhibiting racism-free behavior and promoting a racism-free environment

• Internal Policies, Practices and Processes – Evidence that the organization demonstrates internal practices and policies that create and sustain a deliberate and intentional racism-free environment

• External Relationships and Collaborations – Evidence that the organization is supporting and/or doing business with organizations that are committed to becoming racism-free

• Contractor, Supplier and/or Vendor practices – Evidence that racism-free expectations have been established for suppliers

• Client, Congregation, Customer and/or Marketplace Practices – Evidence that the organization’s products and services target the needs of a multi-racial client/congregation/ customer base

• Measurements and Results – Evidence that the organization has established a measurement process to support a racism-free environment.

What is a partner designation?

It is a way to label your status without judging the quality of your efforts. There are three designations available based on your assessment results and reassessed regularly:

Provisional Partner:

• Have completed and submitted a Partnership Pathway Organizational Assessment Part I with one or more “no” responses

• An improvement plan for answering “yes” to all questions has been developed and approved by the PRFC Standards and Partnering Review Committee.

Full Partner:

• Have completed and submitted a Partnership Pathway Organizational Assessment Part I and all responses are “yes.”

• Have completed and submitted a Partnership Pathway Organizational Assessment Part II with one or more “no” responses

• An improvement plan for answering “yes” to all questions has been developed and approved by the PRFC Standards and Partnering Review Committee.

Credentialed Partner:

• All of your responses on Partnership Pathway Organizational Assessment Part I and Part II are “yes.”

• The completed assessment documents have been submitted, reviewed against the standards and approved by the PRFC Standards and Credentialing Review committee.

• A maintenance plan has been established for review by the PRFC Standards and Partnering Review Committee.

Who can be designated “partners?”

Any organization – large or small...profit or not-for-profit...religious, educational, governmental...sole proprietor, partnership, corporation – willing to engage in the process can achieve a partner designation.

How will my organization benefit from achieving a partnership designation?

In addition to meeting your own organization’s goals to be a racism-free environment:

• Provisional Partners will have access to PRFC merchandise indicating that you are a supporter and recognition of your designation on all PRFC publications

• Full Partners will receive all of the above, permission to use the PRFC – Expect Equality logo and a poster sized certificate that can be prominently displayed indicating you are a partner and your constituents can expect equality in your organization

• Credentialed Partners will receive all of the above plus an engraved plaque presented at the annual PRFC Forum

How does our organization access a copy of the standards and engage in the on-line assessment?

The standards and credentialing online assessment process has taken more time than anticipated to prepare for a full rollout.  The development team has been working with pilot organizations to ensure all related processes and tools are accurate, effective and well able to achieve the successful rollout envisioned.  The Partners for a Racism-Fee Community Steering Committee appreciates your patience.Please feel free to contact the office with any questions (616-643-0233).

Who can we contact for more information?

Send email inquiries to: staff @prfc-gr.org