CASE STUDY
Haas Business School, Center for Social Sector Leadership
In 2021, CSSL began to assess its work through a racial equity lens, using PEG’s Equity Continuum as a tool.
Governance
Background
The Center for Social Sector Leadership (CSSL) is a center operating within Berkeley’s Haas Business School. CSSL provides courses, experiential learning, and career development to Haas students interested in the nonprofit and public sectors. CSSL also conducts research on how to achieve social impact.
The equity journey
In 2021, CSSL began to assess its work through a racial equity lens, using PEG’s Equity Continuum as a tool.
Governance
In September 2021, Haas’ CSSL held an advisory board planning retreat to begin strategic planning for the next 12-24 months. The central theme of the retreat was racial equity–what did racial equity mean to CSSL, and where did the organization want to go on this issue? The CSSL advisory board used PEG’s Equity Continuum as a tool to structure this conversation; participants were asked to look at the tool in advance and come prepared to discuss. CSSL executive director Cristy Johnston Limon felt that the Equity Continuum helped board members think through how principles of racial equity could be reflected across various dimensions of the organization: “It’s just enough to get you thinking about the really important questions.” She also spoke about how the “journey” aspect of the continuum resonated with her board: “The thesis of the continuum, that this is a journey, gives people permission to explore.” After discussion framed by the Equity Continuum, the CSSL advisory board concluded that it was a “no brainer” to explicitly center the organization’s work around racial equity.
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