THEORY OF CHANGE
Problem statement
Regardless of our race, gender, religion, location, and privilege - dying is not an option. But how or whether we access safe, culturally-sensitive support and care is. No matter who you are, death and loss are universal and an inevitable part of life. However, the rise of social unrest and COVID-19 have highlighted a key part of dying that we haven’t acknowledged or addressed widely before now: there is inequity in the way we die.
Assumptions
Generalized end of life resources, care, and policies are not centered, specific, or thoughtful enough to be useful for people in communities experiencing death due to racially-motivated violence or diseases prevalent in underserved communities. The way People of Color experience grief after a death-related loss IS different. We believe that to die and grieve safely and with dignity must be addressed with specificity to each community.
People of Color who have providers that are a reflection of their racial identity are more likely to have better health outcomes. We believe this translates across all sectors of care, including end of life care.
Businesses, programs, and services run by People of Color in the end of life space are creating highly impactful culturally-specific offerings while still operating within a system that provides less opportunities for funding and long-term success. We believe that offering them programming to create sustainable businesses will allow them to better serve their communities.
Conversations about inequities in death and grief experiences are happening among leaders and professionals in the space, as well as within the safety of private communities. We believe that a wider conversation about these issues, and more offerings focused on solving these inequities, will make a great impact on Communities of Color by educating and changing the way institutions care for them. And we believe that there is an inherent power in acknowledging that there is a difference in equity around death and grief to begin with.
Since 2020 there has been an exponential increase in requests for DEI consulting services during particularly challenging times for POC employees (following the murder of George Floyd/during COVID-19 pandemic). During that period, there has also been a significant increase in corporate investment in employee resource group (ERG) programming for POC employees. We believe that this call for race-related services and spaces in the workplace reflects a need for better resources and accommodations made for POC workers.
Inputs
Organizational structure + capacity in the form of staff, subject matter experts, board members in the end of life, health (mental and physical) industries - that also have human-centered design experience
Seed money from key end of life funders + organizations that support this work
A pilot of our business development program that utilizes subject matter experts (SMEs)
Activities
Capacity building
Co-design and co-host communities of practice for leaders in end of life/healthcare, HR/workplace, etc. to connect over industry-related needs
Curate unfacilitated group meetings where participants gather for project guidance, community support, and resource sharing.
Provide 1-1 coaching sessions designed for members to receive open coaching and foster relationship building within the industry.
Program Development
Facilitate and customized programming designed to serve professionals and academics in the end of life community
Disseminate expert-informed information about POC + EOL by and for POC
Evaluate programs for effectiveness in responding to community needs
Explore systems for diversifying where financial resources go for POC end of life businesses
Communications and Amplification
High-tech, low-tech, and no-tech media and storytelling campaigns featuring POC community members
*Note: Primary activities will take place in State of California but resources/activities will be available worldwide/internationally
Outputs
Capacity building
Online educational and community-driven resources by and for People of Color
Engage companies and their leadership with educational and supportive resources
Knowledge/education/information/resources re:how structural racism impacts how we live/die
A go-to resource for POC families experiencing EOL care that is a clearing house of more than 100 POC providers in EOL care, informational and opinion pieces on POC perspectives and conversations on EOL care, and updates visitors on opportunities for advocacy in improvements in EOL care
Program Development
Data + stories (public) re:how POC have been impacted by inadequate services/resources re:EOL; data + stories (businesses)
Demonstrate how POC EOL specific resources will help to heal deep traumas and wounds created by society and structural institutions that contribute to the collective grief of POC
Communications and Amplification
A greater understanding of the collective grief of POC and the resources needed to support us
Demonstrate the value/importance of POC EOL specific resources and support to institutions/orgs/funders/healthcare institutions
Outcomes
Increased awareness of and active conversation about gaps in how POC are cared for when it comes to end of life matters
Enhanced services/resourced being offered by healthcare providers that have interacted with our program participants and org
Engage leaders in the advocacy of health equity and equity in death for People of Color
Leaders and business owners serving POC public on EOL matters feel more financially and operationally resourced after completing programming
Public has access to culturally relevant, specific resources to help them navigate their EOL experiences
Our definitions
End of life: We work in the end of life space, which encompasses the full spectrum of dying, death, and grief experiences that individuals have at the end of their lives. “Dying” includes but is not limited to palliative care, hospice, doula services, and experience post-terminal diagnosis. “Death” includes but is not limited to funeral experience/services, death-related arrangements, and death-related rituals (cultural/religious). “Grief” includes but is not limited to personal grief experience, grief’s connection to mental health, public mourning, and grief-related rituals (cultural/religious).
People of Color/Communities of Color: Individuals and communities that identify as non-White. We currently primarily focus on serving and working with People of Color in the United States.
Our audiences
Public: PAUSE aims to serve members of the public that identify as People of Color. Our resources, events, and eventual brick and mortar center will target individual demographic groups and communities that identify as People of Color.
How we will serve them: PAUSE Online is a private digital space for a global community of grievers to access custom resources. We understand that Communities of Color are not only grieving personal losses. They are grieving the loss of extended community members, as well as experiencing anticipatory grief related to their own wellbeing and end of life experience. PAUSE will launch as a dedicated community full of written, video, and live event content for the public to access.
Business owners/providers: To ensure that the public are served to the highest standard, we believe that end of life-focused providers serving them should have the support to build and run sustainable businesses. These types of providers include (but are not limited to) end of life-focused doulas, grief counselors, funeral professionals, influencers, students/researchers, grief group facilitators, and more.
How we will serve them: PAUSE for Professionals offers support and programming for POC business leaders in the end of life and grief fields. Offerings are designed for those who are from Communities of Color, institutions that support POC, and other end of life practitioners in the industry. This programming and these collaborations aim to help People of Color process their grief and adjacent activities in a culturally appropriate setting and through a variety of modalities and services. Businesses and entrepreneurs will engage in programming that encourages them to connect to other practitioners for collaboration, create custom content that reflects their expertise and community needs, and advocate for culturally appropriate service offerings.
Companies: Our workforces are struggling with both grief and how to manage personal end of life affairs. PAUSE B2B offerings will help managers, HR leaders, and company leaders/C-Suite ensure that their POC employees are adequately supported when facing end of life issues.
How we will serve them: PAUSE for Businesses equips companies with custom, culturally-specific grief resources for their employees who are People of Color. For companies that want to create compassionate and productive environments for employees who are People of Color, we provide them with bereavement and end-of-life resources that serve the employee’s specific identity.