Transforming institutional commitment into systematic change
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the world’s largest philanthropic institutions, focused on solving global challenges through health, education, and equity. Members of the SIE team served leading DEI during a pivotal season of internal transformation.
Scale meets the urgency for systemic equity transformation
Amid growing awareness around systemic inequity, the Foundation sought to embed justice-centered practices into their grantmaking, operations, and culture. There was an opportunity to translate bold DEI commitments into practical action.
Painpoints
Scale and complexity of a global institution
Balancing external commitments with internal transformation
Through clear alignment on values and structured DEI frameworks, the Foundation began shifting culture and operations with measurable progress indicators.
Embedding equity into every department, not just diversity statements
Through the leadership of one of SIE’s founding strategists, we supported internal DEI strategy development across multiple departments. This included:
Conducting DEI assessments across teams
Supporting strategic planning for equity-based philanthropic models
Creating equity-informed frameworks for internal learning and accountability
The goal was embedding justice into operations, not just adding it to mission statements.
Systems integration first, compliance second
Facilitated listening sessions and staff equity reviews
Co-developed strategy roadmaps for DEI implementation
Trained leadership in inclusive leadership practices
Stronger grantmaking capacity and organizational alignment
Strengthened internal capacity to carry out equitable grantmaking
Created organizational buy-in around inclusive values
Helped align staff development and systems with DEI metrics
Integration beats isolation when transforming institutional culture
Systems change requires top-down and bottom-up commitment
DEI must be integrated into every level of strategy, not siloed
