Train the Trainer Series

Open Buffalo (OB) is a transformative civic initiative dedicated to creating long-term improvements in justice and equity in the City of Buffalo. Through an unprecedented collaboration of diverse partners and allies, OB empowers individuals to identify problems, create solutions, and engage in public policy and systems reform. OB's mission is to foster an empowered democratic society by providing training and resources that equip individuals to advocate for a more just and equitable Buffalo.

‍

As part of their effort to better equip their staff and clients to advocate for justice, OB sought our expertise to support their journey towards becoming an anti-racist organization. The key goals of our engagement with OB were as follows:

1. Enhance Understanding of Organizational Position: Increase OB clients’ understanding of where their organization currently stands on the spectrum of becoming “anti-racist” through a comprehensive organizational audit.
   
   
2. Deepen Awareness of Intersectionality: Expand OB clients' understanding of the intersectionality of key societal issues, specifically racism, capitalism, and climate change, and their collective impact on justice and equity.
   
   
3. Build Organizational Capacity for Anti-Racist Practices: Increase OB clients' organizational capacity to implement anti-racist practices and structures that align with their position on the anti-racism spectrum, ultimately supporting equitable outcomes in their service model.
   
   
4. Provide Ongoing Support and Tools: Equip OB clients with additional resources and tools to support their continued evolution into an anti-racist entity.
   
   

To support OB in achieving these objectives, we delivered the following:

• Anti-Racist Organizational Audit Training: Designed and trained OB staff on the use of an Anti-Racist Organizational Audit instrument, helping the organization assess its current position and identify areas for growth.
  
  
• Comprehensive Training on Historical and Structural Inequities: Developed a 40+ slide deck that examined the racialized history of the U.S., the role of racialized capitalism as the nation’s economic engine, and the interconnected consequences of these systems on climate change and justice.
  
  
• Anti-Racist Training Workshops: Created and facilitated workshops, including a session on developing a national reconciliation plan, to help OB staff and clients deepen their understanding and practice of anti-racist work.
  
  
• Equity-Focused Toolkits: Developed practical toolkits, such as a performance management framework for equity, to support OB’s clients in their journey towards institutionalizing anti-racist practices and fostering an equitable environment.
  
  

By providing these tools and trainings, our work with OB aims to strengthen their organizational capacity to drive long-term, systemic change in Buffalo, ensuring that justice and equity are at the core of their service model and organizational practices.