This interactive tool from the Census Bureau calculates the percentage of residents facing various risk factors in natural disasters and emergencies, such as lack of health insurance, lack of internet access, and lack of vehicle access. Within the set of online maps, the data is available at the state or county level and for download at the county or census tract level.

Consider how you can understand and frame your region through an asset-based lens. Avoid discussing communities within your region as weaknesses or threats. Framing these gaps, and therefore these communities, as deficits reinforce stereotypes and historical narratives of these individuals. Instead, when outlining these areas for growth, highlight the systemic barriers that have created these gaps that will need to be addressed to create impact.

When looking at the intended impact of EDD/EDO programs, give thought to both the short-term and the impact. In programming planning, through tools like logic models, craft both outputs and outcomes for each program led by the EDD/EDO. Be clear about the differentiation of these two items; an output metric may not translate to a broader impact, and outcomes can’t be evidence-based without output metrics. Both metrics should be specific about demographics to ensure that an equity lens is being applied to program evaluation. Use this example Economic Development Logic Model from the EDA to identify outputs and outcomes with program partners to ensure consensus, buy-in, and success in reaching broader goals.

As defined by the EDA, “A CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development. A CEDS is the result of a regionally-owned planning process designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region.” These plans are prerequisites for an Economic Development District (EDD) designation and are updated every five years. CEDS must include a summary background, a regional analysis, a Strategic Direction/Action Plan, and an Evaluation Framework." The EDA has developed guidelines to “assist economic development practitioners with the development or update of a CEDS.”

As defined by the EDA, “A CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development. A CEDS is the result of a regionally-owned planning process designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region.” These plans are prerequisites for an Economic Development District (EDD) designation and are updated every five years. CEDS must include a summary background, a regional analysis, a Strategic Direction/Action Plan, and an Evaluation Framework." Review resources from the NADO Research Foundation's CEDS Central online resources.

As defined by the EDA, "Economic resilience aims to better prepare regions to anticipate, withstand, and bounce back from any type of shock, disruption, or stress it may experience.”

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Community Engagement as: The process by which organizations align in benefit of the community and individuals to build a focused method which integrates feedback to develop a collective vision and plan while simultaneously assessing the needs and unique community interests.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Redlining as: The refusal to provide mortgages in neighborhoods that were deemed to be a poor financial risk by using race-based underwriting criteria. Often a practice used by banks and loan officers during city development or redevelopment periods as a discrimination tool. The practice was common in the first half of the 20th century but was outlawed with the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Inclusionary Zoning as: Usually practiced in urban areas, inclusionary zoning is the practice of planning communities and developments that will provide housing to all income brackets. Inclusionary zoning ordinances often require any new housing construction to include a set percentage of affordable housing units, often set by a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI).

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Affordable Housing as: A mixture of quality housing options in which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. Affordable housing can also refer to housing funding through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) or other federally funded programs. See also Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH).

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Underemployed as: When an individual possesses qualifications or skills which are not fully maximized in their current employment, with emphasis on adults who are economically disadvantaged, unskilled, or have other barriers to employment.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Occupational Segregation as: Occurs when one demographic group is overrepresented or underrepresented among different kinds of work or types of jobs. According to Economic Policy Institute, over the next decade, eight of the ten major groups of professional occupations are projected to have above-average job growth resulting in continued disparities in employment patterns in the economy.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Inclusive Workforce Development as: Inclusivity requires more than just balanced representation and hiring in the workforce. A cohesive approach would entail creating holistic pathways for BIPOC, women, and low-wealth individuals, so they are able to grow in the lifetime of their employment and career. This elevates solutions to combat wealth disparities for these groups as it supports activating and targeting resources to address gaps in the ecosystem, such as investing in education programs and training facilities, adjusting supportive services, such as childcare, transportation, banking services, affordable housing, etc., or addressing biases in the workplace that hamper their ability to grow and succeed.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Inclusive Clusters as: Historically, there is evidence that certain geography types and diverse communities are excluded from regional industry clusters, especially for high-growth industries in the innovation economy where significant wealth is created. Smaller towns and rural communities are often excluded from innovation-led economic growth and experience slower economic recoveries. Additionally, women and diverse talent have struggled to participate and prosper in the innovation economy. Within regional growth clusters, especially high-growth sectors and the innovation economy, the inclusive economic model embeds equity within the cluster strategy to deliver equitable job creation, supply chain expansion, business growth, and innovation infrastructure.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Resiliency as: The capacity to recover quickly and overcome social, psychological, physical, or cultural difficulties, traumas, or challenges—often bouncing back to a state of greater wisdom and strength.

This guide from the National Skills Coalition outlines workforce and education policies that support tracking progress toward racial equity, including postsecondary training, correctional education, apprenticeships, sector partnerships, and upskilling strategies.

The Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance in Illinois serves as a model, with their efforts to fund and supports workforce partnerships in the manufacturing, health care, and early childhood sectors and grow apprenticeships in pandemic-impacted industries. The alliance has developed a workers’ rights for workforce development curriculum and leads the Raise the Floor Alliance to improve job quality and workplace standards for low-wage workers.

To inform survey design, this toolkit from OF/BY/FOR ALL provides insights to thoughtful collect demographic information.

Data equity has emerged as a best practice to understand how biased decisions and assumptions influence how data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and communicated. This understanding explores the fallacies that data and research can be entirely objective and how choices in understanding data and metrics have crucial equity implications for communities. Learn more from We All Count.

To maximize the impact of the Action Plan and reduce inequities in the region, taking steps to address the root causes or systems that have created the disparities is required. Root causes are the underlying factors that cause systemic problems. By looking for root causes of problems and the multiple factors contributing to disparities, the EDD/EDO can more effectively design solutions that will solve the issue. Communities of color have faced a range of systems contributing to economic exclusion, from lender discrimination, lack of infrastructure investments, insufficient access to healthcare, and more. In crafting the action plan, ensure the cause of the problem is being addressed, rather than a symptom. Use a root cause analysis, with community stakeholders, to explore more impactful solutions. Facilitate root cause analysis discussions with resources from County Health Rankings.