Our Mission
EPIP is a national network that strengthens emergent leaders through learning, connection, and collective action, while advancing a philanthropic sector rooted in justice, equity, and liberation.
In plain terms: we grow the people, and we organize them to change the field.
Our Vision
We envision a sector where emergent leaders across generations are trusted stewards and bold organizers, shaping practice, policy, and culture so that philanthropy works for all communities.
That means resources and power moving back to the communities philanthropy has taken them from, and practitioners with the skill and backing to move them.
Who We Serve
EPIP's community includes:
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People new to philanthropy, building skill and finding their footing in the field
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People new to their roles, at any point in their careers, learning a new seat
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Experienced practitioners putting their standing to work for a more equitable sector
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Institutions investing in their emergent leaders and in the future of the field
Our Values
Liberation — A personal and collective journey. Philanthropy is not exempt from the work of liberation. We free ourselves and our institutions from the systems that limit possibility, truth, and care.
Collective Care — A shared responsibility, not an individual burden. A sector that burns out its people cannot repair anything. We resource, rest, and support the people doing the work.
Leaderful — Power and wisdom move through everyone. Lived experience counts as expertise at every rank, tenure, and age. Our members become the leaders they wish they had.
Speaking Truth to Power — Truth-telling is an act of love and repair. We name injustices plainly, because nothing changes until someone says it.
Adaptive Imagining — The problems we face won't yield to the thinking that made them. We experiment, take risks, and build what does not exist yet.
How the Work Moves
Four strategies carry our values into the world, and every value travels through all four:
Learning & Development — We build skill and practice.
Connection — We bring people together to grow their power.
Leadership in Action — We work inside institutions, alongside members and funders.
Influence & Organize — We organize across the whole field.
What We're Working Toward
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Emergent leaders who grow, thrive, and sustain themselves in the sector
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Funders who keep, deepen, and operationalize their commitments
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A philanthropy led by diverse people and institutions, not just staffed by them
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Resources and power returned and restored to communities