Case Study
Equiticity
Fundraising & Communications
How Women Unite! Got Connected
WU! Executive Director Liz Jansen first heard about Equiticity when she was a member of Crossroads Fund’s leadership program, the Giving Project. Equiticity was applying for funding through the Giving Project, and Liz was immediately struck by the organization’s work and their CEO’s story. In October 2020, Liz was able to connect with Equiticity’s CEO and President Olatunji Oboi Reed via a mutual friend who also admires the organization.
Photo courtesy of Equiticity
About Equiticity
Equiticity is a racial equity movement working to improve the lives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people by harnessing our collective power through programming and advocating for racial equity, increased mobility, and racial justice across the U.S., but beginning locally in the North Lawndale community. Their vision is a city where racial equity is fully integrated at the policy and legislative levels into every function, department, resource, and budget across city operations and services.
Photo courtesy of Equiticity
Equiticity’s programming and advocacy centers around operationalizing racial equity through research, advocacy, programs, and social enterprises. Key program areas include:
Community Mobility Rituals: Regular series of community walking and bicycle tours exploring Black and Brown Chicago neighborhoods.
Bike Team: Comprises youth from North Lawndale and mentors, who engage in regular ride series and leadership development.
The Go Hub: this community mobility center will serve as a transportation hub and space for community and power-building.
Racial Equity Statement of Principle: Through advocacy, Equiticity seeks to gain buy-in and commitment from the Mayor’s Office on the Statement, key to dismantling racist systems.
Photo courtesy of Equiticity
Equiticity’s Need
As a young organization, Equiticity had a great need for grant writing, expanding their funding pipeline through foundation and corporate research, and individual donor campaign support. While Equiticity’s Founder and CEO Olatunji Oboi Reed already had a strong base of supporters, the organization sought WU!’s assistance to harness that existing support, and grow their reach even further. WU!’s capacity-building services allowed Oboi to focus on the programmatic work of the organization, as well as establishing relationships with new funders and partners, and cultivating existing ones.
Photo courtesy of Equiticity
“Equiticity’s partnership with Women Unite! has already transformed our organization. In only a few short months, we’ve raised more money through a giving campaign and we’ve submitted more grants than we had in the previous three years. Working closely with Tara and Liz has helped me prioritize fundraising as a critical part of our work in order to ensure our organization is sustained for the journey ahead. With their partnership, Equiticity will hire its first full-time position in 2021 and grow our work across the board. Love our partnership with WU!, and dearly want to see it expand into the future.”
—Olatunji Oboi Reed, CEO and President, Equiticity
Women Unite!’s Impact
WU! And Equiticity hit the ground running, developing a collaborative working relationship with an easy and dynamic rapport. One of their very first initiatives was brainstorming, planning, and implementing an end-of-year individual donor campaign that included a strategic plan and communications collateral. The Turn on the Power, and Let Equity Flow campaign launched on November 17, 2020 with a goal of raising $10,000. Within weeks, Equiticity surpassed that and set a new goal of $15,000. Through email marketing and social media, the organization again hit that goal and kept on going. Finally, Equiticity increased their goal to $17,500 and by early January 2021, they raised more than $20,000 in less than two months. This was their first-ever individual donor campaign, and the results were extraordinary.
Additionally, since the partnership between WU! And Equiticity began in October 2020, WU! has helped the organization apply to more than 10 grant opportunities for a total of nearly $650,000. These proposals, coupled with the grant funding pipeline of more than 25 prospects that WU! researched, are sure to help the small, but mighty, organization increase its impact for Black and Brown communities across Chicago. The collaboration between WU! and Equiticity has enabled Oboi and his organization to do what they do best: provide meaningful programming, advocacy, and sustainable solutions in the areas of racial equity, mobility and environmental justice, and eliminating the disparities between the wealthy and the marginalized.
Photo courtesy of Equiticity
Mission Alignment
WU! and Equiticity share a deep commitment to advancing racial justice, empowering Black and Brown communities, and centering the leadership of those who have been traditionally marginalized. Both WU! and Equicity believe in the transformational power of the collective, recognizing that true change comes from within the community when the community comes together. WU! was founded in 2016, Equiticity was founded a year later—both organizations show how much can be done in just a few years when a vision is clear, the energy is boundless, and dedicated individuals work together toward a common goal.