Dear Friend,

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, whose legacy we celebrate this month, was one of the greatest communicators in modern history. He understood the power of the spoken and written word to inform, inspire, and heal individuals, communities, nations, and the world. In Dr. King’s memoir of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, he argued:

Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in
March Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958)

Here at EPIP, we believe social change makers must not be separated. Our goal is to provide a platform to bring people together so they can connect and learn from each other, so that together we can work toward a more inclusive and just society. This January, we have chosen to highlight the Measuring a Leader skill of Communication, which includes:

• Communicating ideas and concepts clearly, persuasively, and dynamically
• Expressing ideas clearly through both verbal and written means

As I move into my new role as the Interim Executive Director here at EPIP, I am reminded of the importance of communication within our office and the EPIP community. One of my goals as your temporary leader is to ensure clearer and more concise communication. That said, please know that the EPIP doors are always open to you in your journey as leaders. We look forward to being a continued resource for emerging social change agents everywhere.

Wishing you all a successful and equitable 2015!

Sincerely,

Emily Kessler
Interim Executive Director | Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy

Throughout the MC MaL campaign, we want to offer a more intentional way for our members to share best practices and tools that come out of this work, while also connecting them to resources from the broader social change community. Here’s how you can participate in January:

• Check out some of the Communication tools and resources developed by EPIP members and friends. Do you have a favorite resource, tool, article, book about Communication? Share them in the comments section!
• Write a blog post. For example, how are you developing your Communication skills? Share what you’re learning through our blog! [EPIP Blogging Guidelines]
• Try out our sample discussion and peer coaching guides that you can use to share and exchange ideas, resources, and best practices around Communications. Organize a brown bag lunch and try them out in your local chapter! Give us your feedback on how we can improve for the following months. Our plan is to develop guides for each of the seven skill sets. 
• Follow us on Twitter @EPIPNational and retweet our posts. Use #EPIPLeaders to follow and join in the Measuring a Leader conversation.
• Tweet about it! Use #EPIPLeaders to share your own thoughts, ideas, or skills-related resources! 
• Is your local chapter recruiting for new steering committee members? If so, apply to serve on a steering committee! Steering committees provide additional opportunities to develop Measuring a Leader skills.
• Like us on Facebook 
• Join our LinkedIn group
• Are you on a local chapter steering committee? If you and/or your local chapter might want to co-design or co-lead in this campaign, fill out our survey here and we’ll get in touch!