catalyst-featured-resereach-hero-general

Your guide to allyship & advocacy

Creating change at work requires allyship and advocacy. Allyship is actively supporting people from marginalized groups and advocacy is proactively building relationships within and across groups to drive positive, structural change on a systemic issue.

Curiosity powers allyship to create change

Inclusive leaders drive belonging and retention by fostering acceptance and inclusion for marginalized groups, including people of color. Through allyship and curiosity—seeking diverse views, listening, and learning—managers can create welcoming, inclusive workplaces that thrive.

Learn more

The manager-employee inclusion correlation

  • 45%

    of employee experiences of inclusion are explained by their manager’s inclusive leadership behaviors.

  • 49%

    of team problem-solving can be attributed to employeees' feeling of inclusion.

Allies and advocates are critical for culture change

The more engagement we can create, the more we can move the needle on culture change. Allies, advocates, gender partners, champions, and sponsors at all levels are crucial to the advancement of people from marginalized communities.

  • Article

    Encourage ERG allyship with these 3 tips

    Learn how to strengthen ERG allyship with leader engagement strategies. Discover practical tips to build support and celebrate ERG impact.

  • Article

    ERGs need allies in times of crisis. Here’s how you can help.

    Learn how to be active and effective when colleagues need support.

  • Article

    How to build genuine LGBTQ+ allyship in your company

    DEI experts from Loblaw Companies Ltd., EY, Vodafone, TD Bank Financial Group, IGM Financial, and Kyndryl share actionable insights.

  • Webinar Recording

    Active allyship: Strengthening LGBTQ+ inclusion in your company

    Watch this webinar to hear our panel of experts discuss why performative policies lead to a decrease in employee trust, team performance, employee productivity, and retention.

  • Video

    Beyond allyship, stories of impact from MARC Alums

    Catalyst's Julie Nugent with Karl Preissner of P&G and Gavin Kimmel of Chevron at the Catalyst Awards.

  • Article

    Move beyond performative allyship for your 2SLGBTQ+ employees

    In a 2023 Catalyst Honours session, panelists discussed how to drive real change for their 2SLGBTQ+ employees.

  • Webinar Recording

    Allyship in action: How to be a workplace advocate and move beyond performative support for LGBTQIA+ colleagues

    Watch this webinar as we dive into the important role advocacy plays in creating more inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ team members.

  • Webinar Recording

    Allyship in the workplace: Leadership practices that support career advancement for black women

    Learn how leaders and managers can support Black women and create meaningful career pathways to support their advancement and leadership.

  • Article

    Allyship and advocacy at work: 5 key questions answered

    Catalyst experts give you all the information you need to become a better ally and advocate for others.

  • Blog Post

    Beware performative allyship: 3 signs to look for

    Expressing solidarity isn’t enough. Here are a few things to watch out for.

Featured video