Culturally Competent Communication - Standards

Cu
ulturally Co
omp
peteent
Com mmmunicattion
Staandards
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This document is divided into several sections including Tenets,

(cultural competence definition, vision and values), Standards (how we
operate) and Guidelines.
Additional resources have been prepared as training and reference

materials and are contained in the Grand Rapids Community
Foundation Culturally Competent Communication Reference guide.
Section 1 Introduction .......................................................................2
Our Rationale and Expectations...............................2
Community Involvement and Support .....................3
Tenets ................................................................................4
Our Definition of Cultural Competence ..................4
Cultural Competence Staff Vision Statement ..........5
Values ......................................................................5
How We Treat Each Other .......................................6
Section 2 Cultural Competence Standards ........................................7
Section 3 Guidelines .........................................................................8
Collateral ..................................................................8
Font Size and Value .................................................9
Color ......................................................................10
Imagery ..................................................................11
Language ................................................................15
© Copyright, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, 2010.
GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
1 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

SECTION 1 | INTRODUCTION
OUR RATIONALE AND EXPECTATIONS
Culturally competent communications – external and internal – are

important to who we are as an organization and the work we do in the
community. As the voice and the public face of a culturally competent
organization, our communication tools help us connect with people
effectively and sensitively.
This is also important because the Community Foundation is a visible

leader in our community and we want to model behaviors and ideas that
are forward-thinking and inclusive. We need to ensure that our staff is
sensitive to cultural differences and we are intentional in how we
communicate with our audiences.
These standards and guidelines are meant to help all staff avoid mistakes
in communication and to make better decisions regarding writing, imagery “I want to commend
and interactions with the public. By infusing cultural competence criteria the Foundation for
within its communication structure, the Grand Rapids Community their bravery and
Foundation supports its mission and core values while demonstrating the leadership for taking
desire to have communication projects/products to which all people can on this initiative.”
relate and understand.
Focus group participant

SECTION 1 | INTRODUCTION, CO NTI N U E D
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT
The development of the criteria contained herein reflects the perspectives

of a diverse West Michigan population who gathered on October 1, 2009
for a facilitated¹ focus group. We thank the people who contributed their
insights.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS
Mr. David Bulkowski Dr. Ora Jones
Ms. Denise Cheng Ms. Alice Kennedy
Ms. Eva Aguirre Cooper Mr. Elias Lumpkins
Ms. Jocelyn Detloff Ms. Lauri Parks
Mr. Paul Doyle Mr. Scott Pruski
Ms. DeDe Esque Mr. José Reyna
Ms. Floriza Genaitis Ms. Dottie Rhodes
Ms. Yolanda Gonzalez Mr. Carlos Sanchez
Ms. Joyce Henry Mr. Frederick Sebulske III
Ms. Joan Huyser-Honig Ms. Marilyn Titche
Dr. Courtney Jones Ms. Latricia Trice
STAFF PARTICIPANTS
Ms. Roberta F. King Ms. Amanda St. Pierre

Ms. Marcia Rapp Ms. Jonse Young
Ms. Diana Sieger
Marylu Dykstra, principal, Sirius Resources LLC

SECTION 1 | TENENTS
OUR DEFINITION OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Cultural competence should not be confused with diversity training or

demographics relating to representational diversity. Here is how Grand
Rapids Community Foundation defines cultural competence.
Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with

people of different cultures. Cultural competence comprises four
components: (1) awareness of one’s own cultural worldview, (2) open
attitude towards cultural differences, (3) knowledge of different cultural
practices and worldviews, and (4) cross-cultural skills.
Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand,

communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.
It is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come

together as a system, enabling an organization and its staff to work
“You are doing
effectively in cross-cultural situations.
wonderful things
which have
Cultural competence requires that organizations have a defined set of
tremendous impact.”
values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies,
and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally. Focus group participant
Cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over

time. Both individuals and organizations are at various levels of
awareness, knowledge and skills along the cultural competence
continuum.

SECTION 1 | TENETS
CULTURAL COMPETENCE STAFF VISION STATEMENT
With INTENTION and honesty, the Grand Rapids Community

Foundation staff offers a safe environment that values diversity and fosters
inclusion.
GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION – VALUES
Innovation Embracing creative thinking and implementing new

ideas.
Respect Honoring individual self-worth and creating a

community of inclusion.
Excellence Performing at a level that exceeds everyone’s

expectations and inspiring trust
Exceptional Changing the community for the better.

Results
People Transforming our community through the expertise of

our staff, the gifts of our donors and the efforts of our
grantees.
Hope Encouraging donors, nonprofits and the community to

believe in a better future.
Inclusion Celebrating and fostering all aspects of diversity.

SECTION 1 | TENETS
HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER

“This was a really
The internal vision: An environment where all levels of the organization
brave thing to do.”
freely participate in the generation of ideas focusing on the vision and
mission of Grand Rapids Community Foundation. We strive to create a Focus group participant
culture that:
Encourages free expression of opinions without judgment as to

the value of the idea.
Embraces change in an atmosphere of limitless boundaries that

welcomes discussion without filters.
Focuses on work and strengthening rather than on hierarchy

and job titles nurturing interdependencies among people and
between tasks that fuel our collective success.
Expects measurement as a critical element tracking our actions

and our learning.

SECTION 2 | CULTURAL COMPETENCE STANDARDS
The following standards were developed with the support of our

community participants and a number of Community Foundation staff.
The results are standards and guidelines that reflect a balanced,
functional approach to communications that is inclusive and respectful.
Grand Rapids Community Foundation strives to communicate and

interact in a manner that is inclusive, respectful, dignified,
empathetic and authentic.
We want to build bridges of understanding, recognizing our
commonalities and valuing our differences.
We will avoid the use of labels, generalizations and value-laden
language.
We will work to understand our audience, being open to input and
asking questions to ensure we understand others’ perspectives. “Find advocates and
We will use simple, straightforward language without qualifiers or volunteers to help
jargon. with talking with
We will work with our communication vendors and suppliers to donors to show
ensure that they understand and reflect these standards in the work diversity.”
they produce for Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
We will ensure our facilities, rented venues; events and meetings Focus group participant
are designed to for full accessibility for our guests.

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | COLLATERAL
These guidelines reflect the insights of the focus group session as well as
significant research collected from academia, professional
communications, journalism and the design industries for guidelines.
Opinions are formed in an instant. An image will deliver the message

before written content; therefore, ensure photographs or icons are “Don’t always use
carefully evaluated. ‘big’ donors as
examples of
Regardless of audience, you cannot control who will see it and not membership.”
everyone will be pleased with everything.
Stress the value and nature of ‘community’ allowing for the
recognition of people and place. It is not always about the written
information, but the feelings that are generated. “Make a point of
using environmentally
Even if there is no specific audience, the composition should always friendly materials.”
be respectful, inclusive of multiple backgrounds and cultures and
portrayed in a positive manner. This further demonstrates the desire Focus group participant
and intent to be inclusive.
Ensure that the design, size, paper, colors and overall cost reflect the TIP
message desired (a large, expensively packaged piece may send the
opposite message, example: too much money spent to ask for money). Consider more than
one reviewer during
Industry lingo, jargon and acronyms, when not understood tend to the development
polarize and exclude. Keep language clear, concise and free of process to ensure that
technical terms unless there is a clear explanation or a compelling multiple perspectives
reason to do so. are addressed.
Keep in mind people’s visual abilities when selecting font types, sizes
and colors.

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | FONT SIZE AND VALUE
The focus group participants reviewed and rated the following

elements including font sizes, values (light or dark type), colors,
symbols and various icons and photos.
SELECTING FONT SIZES
Font sizes sometimes decrease for design purposes; however, a 12 point “Consider how much
font has better legibility and is used in this guide. type is on the page
Type size in points (this guide is in 12 point type) and remember older
people need bigger
Size Typical Use Impact type.”
7 business cards Extremely difficult to read
business cards Difficult to read Focus group participant
8
10, 10.5, documents, reports Readable for a limited audience
11
12 titles Easy to read
14 titles, headers Easy to read
16 titles Too large for typical content, but
appropriate for titles
SELECTING VALUE
Value of type (this guide is in black minus 35%) “Harsh black type is
difficult to read in
Actual Value Impact
fluorescent lighting.”
Word white plus 25% Extremely difficult to read
Word white plus 35% Difficult to read Focus group participant
Word white plus 50% Easy to read
Word black minus 50% Easy to read
Word 100% black Easy to read, sometimes too harsh

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | COLOR
SELECTING COLORS
Color may be interpreted differently. The following list depicts usage

recommendations based on color theory research and supplemented by
the Community Foundation focus group.
Color Recommendation
Red Appropriate for use as an accent color. Context should
be considered, avoiding political topics.
Orange Appropriate for use as an accent color, avoiding political
topics (specific to Ireland).
Yellow Yellow should be used sparingly. Context should be
considered, as yellow is perceived to reflect a number of
cultural issues include, cowardice, history, conflict, and
mourning.
Green Green is an appropriate color for wide use.
Blue Appropriate for use within context of business or
conservative content.
Purple Appropriate for general use.
White Appropriate for general use. Avoid use of white to
represent descriptive terms that may promote stereotypes.
Black Appropriate for general use. Avoid use of black to
represent descriptive terms that may promote stereotypes.
See the accompanying reference document for more detailed information.

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | IMAGERY
SELECTING PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography brings color and life to a document. Photos are widely

“I rarely see images of
available on stock photography sites, and while some are quite good,
African-American
there are populations of people that are not appropriately represented.
The following checklist and the examples following may be useful for families.”
selecting and evaluating photography.
9 Determine purpose and potential impact for the image.
9 Evaluate how different people will perceive the image. It is important

that the audience ‘see’ themselves in the images.
“Don’t force diversity.
9 Evaluate the image to ensure that people are portrayed in a positive It should be natural, real
manner (unless the content specifically requires otherwise). and reflect authentic
relationships within the
9 Use photos that are candid, rather than staged and reflect people in a community.”
positive way. Focus group participant
9 Use images that do not need a caption to ensure understanding to avoid

misinterpretation.
9 Ensure the image fits the context of the story or presentation.
9 Evaluate the image. Note the diversity, balance, prominence, dress,

location and action of the people.
9 Avoid images that promote stereotypes, or present a negative, rather

than a positive, perspective. (See examples on the following pages). “Pictures and
headlines... determine
9 Seek images that draw people together rather than segregate them. if this is for me...
9 Use images that portray people with disabilities in a positive, If it doesn’t look like
productive manner. me, I’m not going to
read it.”
9 Use icons and symbols that represent a diverse population, those that
are universally recognized. Focus group participant
9 Do not use images or icons for a specific culture or religion (cross,

Star of David) unless appropriate for the audience and the message.

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | IMAGERY, CO N T I NU E D
EXAMPLES “Promote inclusion –

take the leadership role
These two images are of the same man. The image on the right illustrates him
as an independent person and is far more positive than the image showing in showing real people.”
inactivity on the left.
Similarly, the image on the left illustrates content concerning a person

requiring a wheelchair with worried people. The image on the right reflects a
person in a wheelchair actively engaged in productive activities.
The image on the left was found using the search word, ‘students.’ The child in
front appears tired or disinterested. In the back a young African-American girl
gazes into space. The white students are working. This image is well
balanced, with good composition, but it portrays the African-American
students as inattentive while the white students are working. Conversely, the
image on the right shows a balance in roles and is natural, rather than posed.

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | IMAGERY, CO N T I NU E D
SELECTING ICONS
At first glance, icon imagery appears neutral however, upon closer

examination; the lack of diversity becomes more evident.
9 Evaluate the icon to ensure it is truly ‘neutral’.

9 Ensure the icon or clip art appropriately reflects the intended audience.
9 Ensure the icon is diverse in age, body type, physical attributes, etc.
9 Confirm if there is any possible aspect that could be misinterpreted.
EXAMPLES “Use recognized

symbols.”
This icon set was located using the search word, ‘business.’ Evaluation by the
focus group of this image set resulted in the following positives and negatives: Focus group participant
Positive: Powerful, leadership, professional
Negative: Based on hair styles and dress, the images tend to reflect white
people. No indication of people with visible disabilities. All images reflect a
sense of youth and beauty.
The icon set (below left) does not stereotype professionals or body types, yet it
still lacks people with disabilities.
Further searching yields the universal symbol for ‘handicapped.’ This icon set
reflects ability rather than disability by virtue of its engaging all participants
and illustrates more than one disability.

SECTIO
ON 3 | GU
UIDELINE
ES | IM AGERY, C NTINUED
CO
SELECT
TING SYMB
BOLS
People are extremelyy sensitive too the connottations of syymbols and their
t
meaningg. Random selection
s of symbols
s as ‘design elemments’ requirre an
understaanding of thee impact of the
t symbol on o various audiences.
a
9 Is thee use of the symbol

s specific to the auudience?
9 Has the
t symbol been
b verifiedd with a subject matter exxpert?
9 Does the symbol,, while approopriate to onne audience, have a negaative

connootation for another
a audieence?
9 Is theere an alternaative symbol or image?
9 Does a symbol neeed to be useed? If so, reseearch it to dettermine any past

p
use orr inferences.
The hexaagram or six-ppointed star when

w surroundded by a circlee, it
representts the divine mind
m which iss a counterfeitt of God’s wiisdom
to a numbber of occult groups
g and iss used in occuult rituals. Too
people off the Jewish faith,
fa it is the Star
S of Davidd.
The peace symbol has had a numbeer of meaninggs, from

representting Nero to an
a old Norse rune.
r After World
W War II iti was
discovereed on the tom
mbstones of some of Hitler’s SS troops. In the
1960s it was
w selected by b a symbol for f global peaace and earth--
centered unity.
u Currenntly, it retainss its peaceful image, but caan be
associatedd with heavy metal rock faans mocking Christianity.
C
The rainbo ow flag symbolizes pride for

f the gay coommunity. It is
claimed by y many organnizations incluuding the Rainbow Coalition. It
is related to
t myths and stories regardding gender and sexuality in
i
GRAND RAPIIDS COMMUN

NITY FOUND
DATION
14 Culturallyy Competent Coommunication Sttandards & Guiddelines ©

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | LANGUAGE
Words, while carefully chosen, may easily be misunderstood and

misinterpreted. Compounding these issues is the constantly evolving
vernacular and changes in our perceptions.
DEVELOPING WRITTEN CONTENT | STEREOTYPES

“We sometimes want
9 Does the content include sensitive subjects such as politics, socio- to reclaim our
economic conditions, demographics, or religion? descriptive words.”
9 Is the structure, vernacular or tone consistent with the audience? Focus group participant
9 Does the content avoid the use of industry language, acronyms and
specific symbols that may not be familiar to the general public?
9 Even if the content is for a specific audience, is the whole composition “Use individuals of
respectful and embracing of all cultures? different backgrounds
and cultures in
9 Is the content concise, avoiding superficial words?
assessing
9 Does it keep the audience in focus? communication media
and materials.”
9 Is the reading level appropriate for different literacy abilities?
9 Is the content devoid of stereotypical descriptors?
9 Is the language inclusive, positive and respectful?
9 When descriptive language is used, does it reflect universally

acceptable terms?
Insensitive Phrases Possible Alternatives “Be open to

Black sheep Outcast, different constructive criticism
Oriental Asian (use the specific nationality when possible) and don’t be afraid to
Chairman Chair, president ask questions in
Illegal aliens Undocumented immigrants
earnest.”
Manning the project Staffing the project
Gifted children Exceptional learners Focus group participant
Race Ethnicity
Uneducated Literacy level
Old people, Seniors Older adults, experienced adults
Fat Obese, overweight
White lie Lie
Blacklisted Banned, ostracized
Minority Ethnically diverse

SECTION 3 | GUIDELINES | LANGUAGE, CO N T I NU E D
People with disabilities may be sensitive to the negative connotations of

some expressions. While this might be regarded as political correctness;
language conveys powerful messages and can lead to inaccurate
labeling that dehumanizes or belittles others.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES | APPROPRIATE TERMS
People with disabilities. Using the word people or person first ensures
that the disability is second to the human being.
Blind, partially sighted
Deaf, hearing impaired, partially deaf
Deaf people who use sign language
Behavioral health issues, a person with behavioral health issues
Emotionally impaired
Cognitively impaired
Wheelchair users
Specific learning difficulties
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES | TERMS TO AVOID
Handicapped people, invalid, cripples, wheelchair bound “Consider alternate

presentation formats
Any word ending in "...ic" which replaces the identity of the individual such as large print
e.g. the epileptic, dyslexics, or spastic materials and
electronic projection
ESN (educationally subnormal), Special needs child with larger sized
writing.”
EBD (emotionally and behaviorally disturbed)
A victim of... or suffering from...
Deformed, retarded, dumb

LESBIAN AND GAY PEOPLE | APPROPRIATE TERMS
Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people also use labels that are
more respectful to their culture.
Use the words Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender or as a

group LGBT. The L first acknowledges gender discrimination and
moves to correct that.
It is always important to include transgender people as they are

often marginalized -- even by some in the LGBT community.
Young people will often add the letter Q, which means Queer -- a
term they prefer to Gay or Lesbian. Q can also mean Questioning,
which refers to people -- mostly younger individuals" -- who are at
the stage when they are questioning their sexuality. Use of “Q” has
not been adopted by the mainstream movement and is not
recommended.
Thanks to The Arcus Foundation for help with this section.
HISPANIC | APPROPRIATE TERMS
Both Latino and Hispanic are generally acceptable, but some

people have a strong preference. If you are writing or talking
about someone ask which they prefer. Otherwise use Hispanic.
This was selected because of the common local use of Hispanic (as
in the Hispanic Center and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce).
When possible, and appropriate, specific references like “Puerto

Rican” or “Mexican-American” or “Guatemalan immigrant” are
the best option.
References to ethnicity should be used only when they are

relevant, and the reason for the usage is obvious to the reader.
Some second- and third-generation Hispanics regard themselves as

simply American or Grand Rapidian. If ethnicity is relevant to the
writing, phrases like “a college student of Mexican descent” or “a
Grand Rapids native of Cuban descent” might be useful.

OTHER RACE-BASED | APPROPRIATE TERMS
When in doubt, ask whomever you are speaking with,

interviewing, writing about or introducing what, if any term they
prefer to use, if it is relevant to the story. Sometimes it won’t be
necessary, but in cases when it is, strive to be accurate and
sensitive to their needs.
African American not hyphenated and is the preferred term if

needed.
In some cases the word Black is still used, Black History Month,
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Black Men
Building Resources Scholarship Fund.
Caucasian is the preferred term if needed.
Native American is the preferred term, not Indian, unless the

subject is from the country of India. It is not hyphenated.
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The term

commonly refers to people who have ancestry in East Asia, which
includes China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
These people could also be Chinese American or Japanese
American. Do not hyphenate.
It might be easy to lump together all people any minority group

who comes from the Asian continent as Asian, but many have
distinct and strong ties to a country of origin. These include
Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and 40+ other
countries.
The information in this document is copyrighted and may not be

reproduced without permission of Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

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This document is divided into several sections including Tenets,

Additional resources have been prepared as training and reference

Section 1 Introduction .......................................................................2

Our Rationale and Expectations...............................2

Community Involvement and Support .....................3

Our Definition of Cultural Competence ..................4

Cultural Competence Staff Vision Statement ..........5

How We Treat Each Other .......................................6

Section 2 Cultural Competence Standards ........................................7

Section 3 Guidelines .........................................................................8

Font Size and Value .................................................9

© Copyright, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, 2010.

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

1 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

OUR RATIONALE AND EXPECTATIONS

Culturally competent communications – external and internal – are

This is also important because the Community Foundation is a visible

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

2 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT

The development of the criteria contained herein reflects the perspectives

Mr. David Bulkowski Dr. Ora Jones

Ms. Denise Cheng Ms. Alice Kennedy

Ms. Eva Aguirre Cooper Mr. Elias Lumpkins

Ms. Jocelyn Detloff Ms. Lauri Parks

Mr. Paul Doyle Mr. Scott Pruski

Ms. DeDe Esque Mr. José Reyna

Ms. Floriza Genaitis Ms. Dottie Rhodes

Ms. Yolanda Gonzalez Mr. Carlos Sanchez

Ms. Joyce Henry Mr. Frederick Sebulske III

Ms. Joan Huyser-Honig Ms. Marilyn Titche

Dr. Courtney Jones Ms. Latricia Trice

Ms. Roberta F. King Ms. Amanda St. Pierre

Marylu Dykstra, principal, Sirius Resources LLC

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

3 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

OUR DEFINITION OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Cultural competence should not be confused with diversity training or

Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with

Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand,

 It is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come

 Cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

4 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

CULTURAL COMPETENCE STAFF VISION STATEMENT

With INTENTION and honesty, the Grand Rapids Community

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION – VALUES

Innovation Embracing creative thinking and implementing new

Respect Honoring individual self-worth and creating a

Excellence Performing at a level that exceeds everyone’s

Exceptional Changing the community for the better.

People Transforming our community through the expertise of

Hope Encouraging donors, nonprofits and the community to

Inclusion Celebrating and fostering all aspects of diversity.

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

5 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER

 Encourages free expression of opinions without judgment as to

 Embraces change in an atmosphere of limitless boundaries that

 Focuses on work and strengthening rather than on hierarchy

 Expects measurement as a critical element tracking our actions

GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

6 Culturally Competent Communication Standards & Guidelines ©

It is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come

Cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over

Encourages free expression of opinions without judgment as to

Embraces change in an atmosphere of limitless boundaries that

Focuses on work and strengthening rather than on hierarchy

Expects measurement as a critical element tracking our actions

Grand Rapids Community Foundation strives to communicate and

Opinions are formed in an instant. An image will deliver the message

Blind, partially sighted

Deaf, hearing impaired, partially deaf

Deaf people who use sign language

Behavioral health issues, a person with behavioral health issues

Specific learning difficulties

Handicapped people, invalid, cripples, wheelchair bound “Consider alternate

Deformed, retarded, dumb

Use the words Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender or as a

It is always important to include transgender people as they are

Both Latino and Hispanic are generally acceptable, but some

When possible, and appropriate, specific references like “Puerto

References to ethnicity should be used only when they are

Some second- and third-generation Hispanics regard themselves as