Section 9 Appendix D: Interview Questions

Opening: In this interview, we want to ask you about your ideas about the agency or organization where you work. We believe that organizations are like people; all of them have strengths, and all of them have faced adversity or had challenges. The goal of this interview is to learn more about how your organization or agency works. Because we want the perspectives of people working in your organizations in your field to guide our work, it is important for us to hear from people doing the work and to understand your experiences and how you feel about them.

You can pass on any question, which is fine with us. There are no wrong or right answers to any of these questions; we just want to hear what you think.

Can you tell me about a typical day at your organization? Can you tell me about a typical client?
To what extent does your organization analyze the comprehensive needs of people of color you serve as part of program assessment, planning, and implementation? What does this look like for your organization?
1. To what extent do you have specific criteria for issue identification and campaign development that elevates racial justice issues? What does this look like?
2. To what extent does your organization set goals for racial justice across program areas that seek to name and address racial disparities and harms? What does this look like?
3. To what extent does your organization advocate and support the inclusion of racial justice issues when working in coalitions? What does this look like?
4. To what extent does your organization have metrics, benchmarks, and indicators for measuring the organization’s success? What does this look like?
To what extent is your organization intentional about ensuring that people of color have positions of influence within your organization and that the plans described earlier have the authority and resources to be carried out? What does this look like for your organization?
1. To what extent does the organization have authentic and accountable relationships with POC individuals and organizations within the region that provide input into your programs and advocacy? What does this look like?
2. To what extent does the organization have people of color as board members and director-level staff? What does this look like? To what extent are benchmarks around racial justice incorporated into the annual evaluation for the Executive Director? All employees? What does this look like?
3. To what extent does the organization ensure a pipeline that seeks the leadership of POC leaders and organizations to become decision-makers within your organization? What does this look like?
4. To what extent does the organization raise adequate resources for its racial justice work? What does this look like?
To what extent does your organization have policies that promote racial justice? What does this look like for your organization?
1. To what extent does your organization have anti-discrimination policies that explicitly prohibit harassment of POC members of the organization? What kinds of policies are in place?
2. To what extent is family defined in a way that supports all family formations, including those beyond “traditional” or “nuclear” families? How does your organization define families?
3. To what extent does the organization use affirmative action in hiring processes? What does this look like?
4. To what extent does the organization have benchmarks around leadership development and retention of people of color? What does this look like?
5. To what extent does your organization periodically assess the disproportionate impact of organizational policies on staff and/or constituents of color? What does this look like?
To what extent does your organization invest in building relationships with POC leaders and communities? In supporting staff development in ways that promote racial justice? What does this look like for your organization?
1. To what extent does your staff and board reflect the full spectrum of POC communities within the community?
2. To what extent are white people in your organization supported and evaluated in deepening knowledge and building skills around issues of white privilege and anti-racist organizing either within or outside the organization? How does your organization do this?
3. To what extent does your organizational leadership have values-based relationships with POC leaders in the region that work towards building long term alliances? What does this look like?
4. To what extent are people of color on staff supported in identifying and participating in leadership development activities? What does this look like?
5. To what extent are staff, board, and leadership provided organizational space, time, resources, and structure to discuss and respond to issues of racial justice within and outside of your organization? What does this look like?
To what extent does your organization support a culture of racial justice within and outside of the organization? What does this look like?
1. To what extent are the full identities of people of color (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, ability status, age, languages spoken, etc.) recognized, respected, and taken into consideration in the development of organizational culture? What does this look like?
2. To what extent are the staff and board trained in interrupting racism at organizational events and within the organization? What kind of training is provided?
3. When the organization plans activities and events, to what extent do you consistently consider basic needs like childcare, interpretation, food, proximity to transit lines, or time of day? What does this look like?
4. To what extent is white culture treated as the norm? And, to what extent are people of color expected to assimilate into the existing organizational culture? What does this look like?
5. To what extent do you consistently communicate to your members, leaders, donors, and allies the racial justice values and work that you do? What does this look like?