Some useful comments about the populations you serve, how you select and describe them, and how you involve them in your goals, plans and priorities:
Value of Diversity
“The Kresge Foundation’s Trustees believe that American philanthropy should serve the needs and concerns of a diverse nation. Accordingly, the foundation’s review of grant requests takes into account the extent to which potential grant recipients demonstrate, through their governance, staff, and individuals served, a significant commitment to serving diverse populations.”
– Kresge Foundation
Include Service Recipients in Project Planning
“We want to know that the people who will benefit from the project have at least provided input and assisted with the design of the project. Even better are good proposals from those who will benefit. These people must regard the project as valuable and must be ready to work with the applicant. Programs that are designed in isolation from the populations they are meant to benefit inevitably fail.”
– Anne C. Petersen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Programs, W.K. Kellogg Foundation