Do it Now Now - Theory of Change

Theory of Change Our updated

Over the years, the Black community has faced various challenges, including systemic barriers that create generational poverty, discrimination, and limited access to education, employment opportunities and justice. To name a few factors of multiple deprivations, we are, unfortunately:

The global Black community encompasses individuals from diverse cultural and global majority backgrounds, including African, Caribbean, and AfricanAmerican heritage. We are united by a shared history and a commitment to addressing Black people's challenges and advocating for our rights and freedoms.

"Black Community refers to people who identify as Black and share a common culture, history, and experience."

disproportionately represented in lower-skilled and lower-paid occupations, we face significant workplace discrimination, with some employers using stereotypes and prejudices to limit our career opportunities. discriminated against in the criminal justice system; Black defendants are more likely to be convicted and receive longer sentences than our white counterparts. more likely to experience poor mental health and less likely to access mental health services. many others including being the recipients of the lowest rates of entrepreneurial investment, and ongoing LGBTQIA+ discrimination.

The Black community faces a general lack of access to racial justice. We define racial justice as the systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes. We believe that Black people's problems go beyond just racism in society or the prevalence of discrimination and inequities. It involves the presence of deliberate systems that help perpetuate and sustain them.

While several programmes have been undertaken over the past decades to address the myriad challenges to the Black community, these have proven insufficient in suitably redressing the systemic inequalities that plague our community. Since 2019, DiNN has provided services to the Black community in Africa and the UK. Our initiatives allow us to contribute to the global solution.

DiNN

The world we are building is one in which each Black person has access to the tools and resources they need to effectively engage in the systems around them to affect positive change for the benefit of all. We believe that a just future is only possible if the barriers that limit Black people’s effective contribution to society are significantly reduced.

Against this backdrop, our Theory of Change (TOC) is grounded on recognising that new approaches are required to address systemic problems, namely the key stakeholders' relationships, mindsets, and behaviours, as necessary precursors to achieving racial justice.

An outcome-based TOC was adopted as it is best suited to map out our overall goal: DiNN being the Black community's foremost champion, enabling the systemic development and coproduction of equitable opportunities and outcomes for Black people.

This outcome-based approach allows us to be a very innovative organisation focusing on our destination rather than individual pathways. Our partners and stakeholders can also identify the outcomes to which they can provide support to effect systems and community change.

DiNN's primary focus is to empower Black people to possess increased financial, cultural and social capital. Our work is designed to contribute to the long-term impact and vision through 5 key strategic priorities: Training and development Grantmaking and social investment Research and consulting Networking and communities Service design and development

Theory of Change

Taken together, DiNN believes that our initiatives in these five key strategic areas will deliver three types of outcomes for Black people and the Black community: Impact outcomes which would drive changes in knowledge, skills, behaviours, and wellbeing.

For example, we provide increased access to learning opportunities about entrepreneurship, growth hacking, financing and funding.

Influence outcomes which would drive changes in institutions, services, systems, community norms, partnerships, public and political will, policies, regulations, services practices, business practices and issue visibility.

For example, we ensure increased support for Black people to engage in approaches, spaces and roles to drive equal representation.

Leverage outcomes which would drive changes in public and private funder’s investment strategies for Black programmes.

For example, will contribute to a shift in social norms resulting in more equitable funding and support opportunities.

Our key assumptions We have made the following assumptions which act as mechanisms of causation, barriers, and enablers of our initiatives.

Cultural diversity: the Black community is diverse and comes from various cultural backgrounds, so it is essential to consider this diversity and tailor training and business practices to accommodate these differences.

Historical context: understanding the history and context of the Black community is crucial for building trust and credibility with Black people. This includes understanding the impact of colonialism and slavery on the community and the ongoing challenges of systemic racism and discrimination.

Theory of Change

Language and communication: communication styles and language use may differ among members of the Black community, and it is important to consider these differences when conducting training and business interactions.

Barriers to entry: understanding and addressing the barriers that Black professionals face in accessing education and professional development opportunities are important for ensuring equal access and opportunities for success.

Inclusion and representation: ensuring that the Black community is represented and included in all aspects of business and professional training is crucial for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. This includes having a diverse range of speakers, trainers, and role models.

Intersectionality: Black people face multiple and intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, and other aspects of identity.

Understanding and addressing these intersections can help create a more inclusive and equitable business and training environment.

Economic empowerment: Black professionals may face unique financial challenges, such as a lack of access to capital and resources. So, it's essential to consider these issues when conducting training and business practices that support economic empowerment.

Networking: Black people face challenges building and maintaining professional relationships with individuals and organisations that share their common interests, goals, or values. Developing strong networks will help facilitate collaboration, resource sharing, and advocacy to amplify impact.

Our key stakeholders To achieve our goals, we must work exceedingly well with the following groups of people.

Service users: individuals or communities benefit directly from our services or programmes.

Community leaders and influencers: have a significant impact on the Black community, including elected officials, civic leaders, and community influencers.

Donors or funders: individuals, organisations, or government agencies that provide financial support to underserved communities.

Employees or volunteers: who work for or with DiNN, including staff members, freelancers, and volunteers.

Government and regulatory bodies: agencies or regulatory bodies that develop policies and oversee the sector in which DiNN operates.

Media and the general public: the individuals and entities that consume and share information about DiNN and our work, including journalists, bloggers, and social media users.

Partners or collaborators: other organisations or entities with whom DiNN achieves its mission and goals.

We have identified the most interesting outcomes by developing and articulating our theory of change. This allows us to adapt our approach to achieving those outcomes in different contexts and respond to currently unknown future opportunities. Acting as a champion for these outcomes will enable us to engage others who share our passion for achieving any of these outcomes.

Theory of Change

INFLUENCE OUTCOME

IMPACT OUTCOME

LEVERAGE OUTCOME

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Increased number of Black people opening new businesses and enter employment

Greater number of Black people receiving practical learning programmes

Black people are more able to manage their day to day finances

More Black people opening businesses lasting more than 3 years with growing teams

Improvement in the financial wellbeing of Black people

Increases in the number of profitable Black businesses

Theory of Change

LONG TERM

| > 3 YEARS

| 18 MONTHS - 3 YEARS

Increased access to learning opportunities about entrepreneurship, growth hacking, financing and funding

MEDIUM TERM

GOAL

| 12 - 18 MONTHS

STRATEGY

SHORT TERM

KEY

Improvement in the overall wellbeing of Black people

GRANTMAKING AND SOCIAL INVESTMENT

Increased opportunities for Black people to engage with entrepreneurship, leadership and voluntarism as real life applications

Increased support for Black people to engage in approaches, spaces and roles to drive equal representation

NETWORKING AND COMMUNITIES

Increased partnership based working between established Black and non-Black community leaders to develop and deliver interventions to increase racial equity in their community

Increases grassroots engagement that leads to Black lived experience leaders making change in their communities

More Black people becoming Thought Leaders within their community

Black people become empowered to engage directly with decision makers in their ecosystem to engage in sytems change

RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

SERVICE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Increased availability of grant funding and investment to Black-led organisations

The development of greater consensus around common definitions of racial justice problems and possible policy options

More Black-led organisations access grant funding to support the core operations of their organisations

Black people have an increased sense of belonging in their community

Black people more frequently work with each other and nonBlack communities to address equity barriers

More organisations consider racial justice issues in their planning and operational activities

More Black-led organisations are able to attract alternative sources of funding other than just grants as they grow

More Black people raise issues in the media to campaign and advocate for change at a local and national level

Black people are more resourced to work with each other and nonBlack communities to take actions on local issues

Increased visibility of racial justice issues in policy processes

Higher uptake of social investment products among Black-led organisations, which are created for their needs

Strengthened ecosystems for Black entrepreneurs, community innovators and leaders

More Black people taking up leading positions in local and national government, influential charitable and entrepreneurial organisations

Shift in social norms resulting in more equitable funding and support opportunities

Increased recurring and diversified streams of income that ensure the sustainability of Black-led organisations

To be the Black community's foremost champion enabling the systemic development and co-production of equitable opportunities and outcomes for Black people.

Understanding the terms in our Theory of Change Black community: refers to individuals who identify as Black and share common experiences, history, culture, and social and economic challenges. This community is defined by race and can encompass a wide range of cultures, nationalities, and experiences but is united by a shared history of oppression and discrimination.

Black-led organisation: an organisation that is primarily led, governed, and controlled by Black individuals. The leadership team, including the CEO, senior executives, and board of directors, should have a significant representation of Black people.

Black people: refers to individuals who identify as Black and of African/Caribbean descent. This includes people with ancestry from various African countries and regions and those who are part of the African diaspora, such as people of African descent in the Americas and other parts of the world.

Theory of Change

Entrepreneurship: the process of creating or starting a new business venture to make a profit. It involves identifying a need in the market and developing a product or service to meet that need.

Social investment: refers to using financial resources, such as loans, bonds, or equity investments, to address social and environmental challenges and create positive social and environmental impact.

Grantmaking: is the process of providing financial support, in the form of grants, to organisations or individuals for specific purposes or projects.

System: is a set of interconnected elements or components that work together to achieve a common purpose or goal. Systems exist in various contexts, including nature, technology, organisations, and society.

Leadership: is the process of influencing and directing individuals or groups towards achieving a goal. It involves creating a vision, setting direction, and motivating people to work together to accomplish a common objective.

Racial justice: refers to the fair and equal treatment of individuals of all races in all aspects of society.

It involves the elimination of systemic racism and the creation of a society in which people of all races have equal access to opportunities, resources, and outcomes, such as education, employment, housing, and the criminal justice system.

Voluntarism: is the principle that social and economic systems should be based on voluntary cooperation and individual initiative rather than coercion or government intervention. It is a philosophical belief that individuals, rather than the state or other centralised authority, should be the primary drivers of social and economic progress.

Wellbeing: refers to a state of overall physical, mental, and emotional health and satisfaction.

It is a holistic concept encompassing a person's sense of purpose, life satisfaction, relationships, and experiences.