New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) officially launched Elevating Equity in Economic Development: An Inclusive Recovery Toolkit, which presented as both an online interactive toolkit and in-depth downloadable guide. The toolkit features Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion modules with illustrative best practices (including from EDDs) and recommendations to get started. The guide includes resources tailored for Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies and serves as a reference when planning for inclusive economic growth. Both are available at recovery.newgrowth.org.

This work is a result of the Inclusive Recovery Initiative, which the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) launched in 2021 in partnership with the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation, with support from the Economic Development Administration. Over the last two years, regional economic development practitioners shared how they are taking steps toward inclusive growth and equitable outcomes and highlighted opportunities for other EDDs in this work, including:

1. Organizational Commitment and Capacity: Internally, EDDs can embed equity through new organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies, practices, and statements to ensure that this core principle and approach cuts across all elements of economic planning, development, and funding.
2. Equity in the CEDS: EDDs can activate their regional economic development strategy, most notably the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), to include an explicit focus on equity and inclusive growth opportunities specific to all areas of their region and across all economic strategies in the CEDS.
3. Strategy and Implementation: EDDs can translate their CEDS plans into actions, implementing regional economic strategies which both address historical barriers and deliver robust regional economic growth. Since March 2020, there are evident growth opportunities. These include record rates of entrepreneurs of color starting businesses, new models for economic and community development partnerships, and a surge in innovations in programs and services to build community wealth, showing the untapped assets that can expand regional economies.

This toolkit was prepared by New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), in partnership from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation using Federal funds under award ED21HDQ3070009 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.