WPP round three programmes to advance racial equity (2022)

Graphic background with blue and orange circles with the words "Bold, audacious and creative. Initiatives to advance racial equity in the world with WPP"

On 17 June 2020, as part of a wider set of commitments and actions to help combat racial injustice and support Black and ethnically marginalised talent, WPP pledged to invest $30 million over a three-year period to fund inclusion programmes and to support external organisations.

As part of this drive, we invited our global network of agencies to apply to receive resources to create and run innovative and impactful programmes to advance racial equity for the second round in January 2022.

All applications were independently assessed by peers from relevant markets against a rigorous set of criteria. Second-round Proposals with the highest aggregated scores were then reviewed by the Commissioning Council. Members included Mark Read, CEO, WPP; Shahid Sadiq, CFO of Specialist Communications and PR, WPP; Tebogo Skwambane, South Africa Country Manager, WPP; Seleana Wright, Senior Vice President Better Impact, H+K Strategies; and Stacie Graham, Global Racial Equity Program Director, WPP.

Based on the ideas and initiatives that were felt to align most closely with WPP’s purpose – to use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities – and hold the greatest potential to effect change, here are the details of the WPP agencies and projects which have been successful: