Reports
Prosper Portland Equity Framework
In 2018, Kapwa consulting led Prosper Portland through a strategic organizational assessment to identify pathways to advance their equity work from the inside out. The equity framework is a culmination of a variety of tools developed through staff engagement to define a clear theory of change, language, and culture to hold themselves accountable to advancing their equity goals.
AfroEcology Framework
In 2017, Meyer Memorial Trust funded a partnership between Imagine Black (formerly PAALF) and Africa House in Portland, OR to develop a Climate Strategy. Desiree led a coalition of Black City Staff and community members in the design and implementation of a community dialogue series that resulted in the AfroEcology Framework. AfroEcology aims to name a uniquely African Diasporic way of describing the dynamic, spiritual, and intergenerational relationship with nature. The work continues today through Imagine Black's AfroEcology Program.
Voz Environmental Justice Framework
In 2016, Voz, a Day Labor Center in Portland, OR received a grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to engage in an environmental justice strategy. While working at the City of Portland, Desiree was asked to lead the process. She developed a team that included economists and bilingual engagement staff. The goal of the project was to support Voz to understand how the experience of Day Laborers mapped to environmental justice priorities and the local landscape of training, jobs and policy advocacy opportunities.
Portland Climate Action Plan Through Equity
The 2015 City of Portland Multnomah County Climate Action Plan set a new trajectory for municipal climate work. It was the first Climate Action Plan to acknowledge and aim to address the intersectional challenges of systemic racism and Climate Change. This case study documents the lessons learned from the process that helped to reshape climate planning as we know it.