Workplace Pride releases the Civil Society Business Toolkit
Workplace Pride, Open for Business and The Other Foundation have co-created the Civil Society Business Toolkit.
The three organisations developed the Civil Society Business Toolkit to provide CSOs with a guide on how to interact with businesses more effectively and productively. It focuses specifically on empowering LGBTIQ+ CSOs, regardless of their experience and background, and has been written to be inclusive of individuals with limited experience in working with corporate and commercial terminology. With concrete examples and real-life suggestions, the Civil Society Business Toolkit is designed to be practical, goal-driven, and sustainable.
The realms of civil society organisations and businesses around the globe have often been seen as mutually exclusive. In reality, these two worlds have more in common than either may realise. Increasingly, businesses are seeking to address LGBTIQ+ inclusion within their organisations, and CSOs are well placed to advise and support them on their journey. In turn, businesses are able to use their societal and economic influence to amplify the work of LGBTIQ+ CSOs.
The four-part toolkit covers:
- Aligning your aspirations with your prospective business partners’ objectives
- How to summarise the business case for LGBTIQ+ inclusion
- Eight practical tools to help improve collaboration with business partners
- How to develop intentions into actions that will advance LGBTIQ+ inclusion in both the workplace and society
The Civil Society Business Toolkit has come at the right time. CSOs have been expressing the need to have tools to help them engage with businesses for a number of years. Businesses need to bring in the experts to help with their inclusivity journey and they can’t do that work in isolation. The toolkit will help CSOs be those experts for business. CSO need to be ready to take on the ability to speak strategically, understand resources and resource constraints, and understand the politics of a business. This is why collaborative efforts are so important.’
Sebenzile Nkambule
Executive Officer for Strategic Partnerships at the Other Foundation
The coalition would like to thank the Global Equality Fund which initiated and financially supported this work.
You can download the Civil Society Toolkit and read case studies from CSOs here.
Civil Society Business Toolkit: A two-way street to LGBT+ progress:
Download the PRESS RELEASE here:
