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Transforming Minnesota’s Workplaces for Growth and Shared Prosperity

Introducing the Racial Equity Dividends Index
To address the ever-present demand for change, the Center for Economic Inclusion has developed the Racial Equity Dividends Index, a comprehensive tool to help businesses measure their progress towards building racially equitable and inclusive workplaces in Minnesota.

By 2044, America will be a majority people of color nation. The deeply entrenched and widening racial and economic disparities are not sustainable and are harming all of us.

While America diversifies, a rapidly growing share of businesses are recognizing the inextricable link between diversity, inclusion, productivity, and profitability.

Yet, a much smaller share has made the meaningful investments in transforming their workplaces to embody the principles of inclusion and belonging in ways that produce dividends for their employees, shareholders, and the communities where they work and conduct business.

Businesses have a powerful opportunity to measurably embed principles of racial equity, inclusion, and belonging in the systems and structures that stimulate economic growth.

Awareness about inclusion, equity and shared accountability begins when businesses recognize the vital importance of prioritizing and advancing equity and inclusion to their bottom line – leading by actively investing in assessment practices that sustain equitable and inclusive workplaces.

What the Index Assesses
The Index assesses 37 business practices across the categories of leadership, hiring, culture, procurement, philanthropy, public policy, and products. Collectively, these practices represent emerging standards that are necessary to advance racial equity and inclusion in workplaces.

Eligibility
The Index is designed for midsized and large private-sector businesses in Minnesota.

Nonprofits and small businesses are welcome to register for and complete the Index survey, but their data may not be included in the 2022 Racial Equity Dividends Report, which will benchmark only private-sector companies. Nonprofits and small businesses who register for the Index will still receive a customized score report with their results.

Index Result Scoring
Upon completion of the Index, businesses will receive a copy of their score in the form of a customized, confidential scorecard report in 2022.

2022 Racial Equity Dividends Index Report: Promising Practices for Racial Equity in Minnesota
The Center for Economic Inclusion will recognize promising practices in an annual Racial Equity Dividends Index report. The Index report will also include aggregate statistics from businesses participating in the 2022 Index and highlight promising practices that demonstrate how to build more racially equitable and inclusive workplaces for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian individuals in Minnesota. The 2022 Racial Equity Dividends Index Report will be published in Summer 2022.

Learn More and Take the Next Step
Interested in taking the next step to complete the Racial Equity Dividends Index? Contact Jonathan Johnson, Business Development and Strategy Lead, 612.351.8214 and jjohnson@centerforeconomicinclusion.org.

Frequently Asked Questions
For more information about the registration process, methodology, and timeline for the 2022 Racial Equity Dividends Index, see the Index FAQs.