Statements, policies and plans should reflect organizational thinking about board, management, staff, volunteer and artist composition, as well as programming and audiences/participants.

Across the four areas analyzed in the literature review, (Board, Staffing, Programming and Audiences) the following key lessons appear to be universal:

1. Be explicit about goals for cultural equity and inclusion in all of the organization’s materials, including its mission statement, job descriptions, board recruitment materials, grant requirements, casting and programming. If participation and engagement with a particular community is desired, state explicitly who that community is and how they will be engaged.

2. The meaning of diversity, cultural equity and inclusion goes beyond race and ethnicity, and must be defined for each organization. Depending on the context, this may include the homeless, the incarcerated, the disabled, the poor, veterans, the elderly and the LGBTQ community. It may also include psychographic traits related to personal opinions, fears and aspirations.

3. Partner with organizations serving the communities you wish to serve. This includes both arts organizations and non-arts organizations, and even non-organizations.

4. Define terms, set clear goals and measure progress, then celebrate victories while also identifying the barriers that are preventing success. Share all of this information publicly, as part of being explicit about what you want to achieve.

5. To achieve full cultural equity and inclusion will take a long time. Plan for the long haul, and be prepared for hard work.

6. Include culturally specific organizations and understand their place in the larger arts and culture ecology of the region. This includes recognizing their leadership and role in serving the communities you also wish to serve. 7

. Your institution may change as a result of all this work. In fact, it must. These changes may challenge staff, board members, audiences and other stakeholders, so plans will be needed to manage change. There is a robust body of literature on this from practitioners from both the nonprofits and business sectors which may be useful.

8. One size does not fit all, and this must be considered in board recruitment, hiring, grantmaking and building partnerships. Organizations and artists differ by discipline, size, life cycle placement, community served, type of programming and mission, and those differences should be recognized in organizational processes.