CASE STUDY: Cultural Institution's Successful ERG Launch Using the Transformative ERG Toolkit
Organization Background
A major cultural institution experienced rapid growth from 200 to over 600 employees, creating new challenges around community and connection. As their Culture and Engagement Manager explained, "People were saying it used to feel more like a community. I used to know everyone by name. I don't know everyone anymore."
The Challenge
The organization wanted to launch Employee Resource Groups to help build some of that community back in, but faced several obstacles:
No existing framework or resources for ERG development
Staff with limited ERG experience who needed guidance
Mix of full-time, part-time, and hourly employees requiring inclusive approaches
Need to make ERG leadership accessible without overwhelming volunteers
Desire to create something comprehensive but wouldn’t take years to implement
As the Culture and Engagement Manager noted: "ERGs are a lot of work to do them well and to do them intentionally... we're going to need a toolkit, some kind of support, a framework."
The Solution: Transformative ERG Toolkit
After an informational meeting with me, the Culture and Engagement Manager purchased the Transformative ERG Toolkit. Her immediate reaction: "It is just incredible."
What Made the Toolkit Effective
Comprehensive Yet Customizable:
"What I loved about the toolkit is that it's very comprehensive... Anything you could possibly need is in that toolkit. We were able to pull pieces that we needed and create our own customized toolkit for our staff."
Practical and Actionable:
The toolkit included everything needed: "how to run a meeting, how to have an agenda, how to apply for funding... Expectations, goals, how to create a mission statement, all of that we pulled from the toolkit."
Empowering for New Leaders:
"The toolkit itself has just been so empowering and encouraging people to step into their next level of leadership... You don't have to create anything. You just take this toolkit, use what you need... that [they] can do."
Implementation Strategy
Here are some of the key components of the organization’s implementation strategy that led to their success.
Customized Approach: They created their own condensed toolkit using the sections that were most relevant to their organization
Information Sessions: They scheduled information sessions and took interested staff through the materials and answered questions.
Digital Access: Each ERG team received access to the organization’s customized toolkit through online channels that allowed them to have easy access to the materials
Pilot Mentality: They had a “let’s try it” mentality and started with multiple groups to test what worked.
Results
What began as a pilot quickly transformed the organization. Six ERGs launched—Asian American Pacific Islander, Black and African American, Caregivers, Latinx/Hispanic (Unidos), LGBTQ+ (Pride), and Sustainability—and each one has not only taken root but is now thriving.
The momentum was immediate. Twenty-five people showed up to the very first Latinx ERG meeting. Many ERG participants found themselves emotional as they talked about finally finding “community and connection” at work. Attendance continued to build, heritage programming drew 75–80 participants, and the first year included six cultural events for staff—an impressive leap from previous years, when there were none.
Just as important, leadership created the conditions for success. ERG participation became part of the workday instead of something squeezed into lunch breaks. Managers actively communicated their support, and ERG work was woven into strategic planning efforts. As the Culture and Engagement Manager put it, “We’ve gotten nothing but support.”
Key Success Factors
Several choices shaped the success of the launch.
First, the team resisted the urge to start from scratch. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel,” the Culture and Engagement Manager explained. “Having a toolkit gives you that. It has been essential in us being able to create six piloted ERGs.”
They also chose a community leadership model rather than relying on single champions. This approach made room for shared responsibility, healthier workloads, and natural succession planning.
Institutional investment played a pivotal role as well. By intentionally making ERG participation part of paid work time, the organization sent a clear message: this work is valued. “We value this so much that this is a part of your workday.”
And finally, they normalized imperfection. Leaders reminded participants that this was new for everyone: “It doesn’t have to be perfect. We’ve never done this before. Just the fact that we’re doing this matters. Give yourself praise.”
Challenges and Solutions
Of course, building something new comes with growing pains. ERG leaders initially began taking on too much, which created a risk of burnout. Regular check-ins helped recalibrate expectations, and the team shifted to a lighter cadence—quarterly meetings instead of monthly—while reinforcing shared leadership rather than individual burden.
Time was another challenge in a busy workplace. The community-based model helped here as well, distributing tasks across several people and making the work more sustainable.
Long-term Impact
Over time, the ERGs have become a meaningful source of professional development. Staff have gained leadership experience they could point to in performance reviews and add to their resumes—skills that reached well beyond ERG spaces.
Culturally, the ERGs strengthened the organization’s commitment to equity and belonging. They became “a resource to empower our staff” and supported the broader aim of “diversifying… part of our strategic plan.” What started as a pilot is becoming a cultural pillar.
Bottom Line
"The Toolkit felt like a hand to hold, a resource, something you're excited to give people."
The Transformative ERG Toolkit was one aspect that enabled this cultural institution to successfully launch six ERGs without overwhelming their team or starting from scratch. As the Culture and Engagement Manager summarized: "It has been essential in us being able to create six piloted ERGs... giving me a resource to empower our staff has been just incredible."
Ready to launch ERGs at your organization? The Transformative ERG Toolkit provides the comprehensive framework that helped this institution create thriving employee communities from day one.
