Second Iteration of the DAPP Survey Expands with New Partnerships
Second Iteration of the DAPP Survey Expands with New Partnerships
By: Funders for LGBTQ Issues Staff on September 17, 2020
In 2018, Funders for LGBTQ Issues asked a simple question: how many LGBTQ people work in the philanthropic sector? In an attempt to answer that question, we confronted the reality that at the time, there was no reliable data on the level of representation of LGBTQ people in our sector, nor on the degree to which LGBTQ people feel included and welcome in the workplace. Thanks to the support of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, and the expertise of SMU DataArts, Funders for LGBTQ Issues developed and conducted the Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) Survey and released findings in our report The Philanthropic Closet: LGBTQ People in Philanthropy. Since its release, this research has played a catalyzing role in engagement with the sector and informed a range of programming.
Recognizing we could do more with the data from the DAPP survey we partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) to produce The 2018 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals Report: A Tale of Two Sectors to present the results of the DAPP survey in aggregate, including findings on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and disability status. Survey results were also used to produce a series of community snapshots for individual network partners. The inaugural DAPP research helped push the conversation around LGBTQ representation and inclusion in the philanthropic workplace. Thanks, in part, to this work SMU DataArts now includes questions about sexual orientation and gender identity as a standard part of all of their demographic survey work.
Building on the success of the first DAPP survey and ensuing collaborations, CHANGE Philanthropy will lead the next iteration of the Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) survey. This powerful network will oversee data collection and use the 2020 findings to produce even more original research exploring the culture and climate of the philanthropic sector through the lens of identity frames, including findings related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The project will use the DAPP results to produce a series of reports and infographics to deepen our knowledge and amplify the conversation about inclusion in philanthropic workplaces.
Rebecca Wisotsky, National Director of Philanthropic Outreach, led foundation engagement efforts for the inaugural DAPP survey. On the transition of this project to CHANGE Philanthropy Rebecca said, “We are so pleased that the CHANGE network is embracing and expanding the work we began in 2018. The combined efforts of the participating partners will ensure that the survey reaches a greater number of foundations and will only amplify this important conversation.”
CHANGE Philanthropy is currently conducting outreach to recruit a broad range of funding institutions to join the #DAPP2020 campaign. Once signed-up, participating foundations will receive support to send a brief survey to their staff and board in December 2020. This survey is a unique opportunity for foundations to solicit anonymous, self-reported responses from individuals on the staff and board of participating foundations, helping grantmakers accurately assess the culture and climate of their institutions.
You can visit the CHANGE Philanthropy website to learn more about how your foundation can participate in #DAPP202, find highlights from past reports, and access community snapshots.
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