In an effort to help EPIP members gain value from the experience of professionals in the field, EPIP is starting a new interview series. Blog readers will be able to learn valuable lessons from leaders in the field.

The first interview in this series is with Laura Tomasko. Laura, a D.C. EPIP member, is a network developer at the Council on Foundations. As a network developer, she spends her time exploring the landscape of social good finance. This includes helping COF members learn about current trends and opportunities within the field...

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This post first appeared on the Foundation Center’s GrantCraft blog. GrantCraft, a service of the Foundation Center, taps the practical wisdom of funders to develop free resources for the philanthropy sector. New to the field? This one’s for you. Folks who are new to the field often request a glossary of terms just to make sure they know the basics. Our sister site GrantSpace (geared more towards nonprofits, while GrantCraft speaks more directly to funders) has shared the below list that defines the most commonly used terms in Foundation Center materials. 501(c)(3) The section of the tax code that defines nonprofit, charitable, tax-exempt organizations. 501(c)(3) organizations are further defined as public charities, private operating foundations, and private non-operating foundations. See also: operating foundation; private foundation; public charity. Annual report A voluntary report issued by a foundation or corporation that provides financial data and descriptions of its grantmaking activities. Annual reports vary in format from simple typewritten documents listing the year’s grants to detailed publications that provide substantial information about the grantmaker’s grantmaking programs. Assets The amount of capital or principal — money, stocks, bonds, real estate, or other resources — controlled by a foundation or corporate giving program. Generally, assets are invested and the resulting income is used to make grants. Beneficiary In philanthropic terms, the donee or grantee receiving funds from a foundation or corporate giving program is the beneficiary, although society may benefit as well. Capital support Funds provided for endowment purposes, buildings, construction, or equipment. Challenge grant A grant that is paid only if the donee organization is able to raise additional funds from other sources. Challenge grants […] Read more

March 26, 2014

EPIP Webinar: Catalyzing Change with Communications and Comedy 

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JAG Unity Summit Register by April 15th and Save!  Member – Early Bird: $475 Non-Member – Early Bird:  $550 After April 15th:  Member – Regular Registration: $625 Non-Member – Regular Registration: $700 Register now online at:  https://www.greenmoonsolutions.com/jag2014/ Who is JAG? JAG consists of seven identity-based JAG partner organizations – Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP), Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), and Women’s Funding Network. We represent a national network of more than 2,500 members and more than 20,000 philanthropic, nonprofit, and corporate professionals of all ages: AAPI, Black, Latino, Native, women, men, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities. To learn more, visit:  www.jointaffinitygroups.org Read more

In partnership with NTEN, EPIP members may take advantage of member rates on this NTEN webinar. Discount codes for all partner offers can be found on Member Connect under Member Resources. If you or anyone in your organization has a laptop, we want to encourage you to leave your desk! Go on. Get out. Increase efficiency. Decrease costs. Get things done. Thanks to wireless technology, your staff can do more, communicate more, and be more efficient simply by leaving their desks. This webinar will explore the many facets of your organization including communication, fundraising, programs, community outreach, and staffing/volunteerism, and will challenge your thinking on ways to leverage wireless technology in each area. Learn More DATE Tuesday, Apr 22, 2014 11:00am US/Pacific 2:00pm US/Eastern Read more

March 12, 2014

EPIP Webinar: A Chat with EPIP’s Newest Executive Coach, Pratichi Shah 

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By Rachael Young, Program Officer, Mertz Gilmore Foundation and Steering Committee Member, EPIP-NY

Crowdfunding platforms raised an estimated $5.1 billion worldwide in 2013, nearly twice the total for 2012. Although most of this booming investment is in private ventures, mission-driven crowdfunding platforms are also emerging on the leading edge of technology, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. 

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014 11:45 am – 1 pm Imagine getting a phone call from someone who wants you to create a foundation!  What would you fund; who would you fund; how would you invest your endowment; what strategies would you employ; how transparent would you be? These are just some of the exciting questions we will ask Mark Spalding, president of The Ocean Foundation.  It will also help us think about what advice we might give if ever someone asks for our help with a foundation… Bring your ideas and your questions! Note: Please plan to arrive at 11:45am for networking and to grab lunch. The program will start promptly at 12pm. About Mark Spalding: Mark Spalding has been the President of The Ocean Foundation since its founding 10 years ago.  Under his leadership, it has grown exponentially from a $200,000 to $5 million/year budget, and he has prioritized its focus on steering the human relationship with the sea to a brighter future through diverse, carefully chosen strategies and projects.  Mark drove the design and establishment of the Alaska Oceans Program, the Shipping Safety Partnership, the Loreto Bay Foundation and the St. Kitts Foundation.  Mark is the advisor to the Rockefeller Ocean Strategy (an unprecedented ocean-centric investment fund), and designed the first-ever blue carbon offset program, SeaGrass Grow! Mark was recently appointed by the UN to its Pool of Experts for the UN World Ocean Assessment. From 1994 to 2003, Mark was the Director of the Environmental Law and Civil Society Program, and Editor of the […] Read more

Seven years ago I was I was desperate to find a job that would be the right place to learn what I was good at and truly develop my skills in those areas.  I had a Master’s degree, several years of experience in fine arts and fundraising, in addition to more experience than I had ever hoped for as a waitress, bartender, barista, sales associate, telemarketer and circus jester.  At the end of my search, I landed a job at a foundation.

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I sit on the plane flying north from Oaxaca, Mexico, the place I called home for 5 years. The place where I began my career, became an adult, built something from the ground up, and began my own journey of finding truth. I peer out the window to the west, with views of the vast Oaxacan valley, of Monte Albán, the ruins from where the Zapotec people protected this valley for hundreds of years, and am reminded, once again, of the wisdom that exists in this place, the warmth, the invitation, the ancient history of a people so proud. I have been on a journey since leaving Oaxaca in 2006, one filled with peaks and valleys, one that can be best described as a journey of finding my heart. We started an organization 11 years ago, an organization that continues to grow and prosper, that continues to inspire and to challenge all of us involved. We are working in a deeply entrenched system trying to do our part in addressing the myriad challenges of poverty, oppression, individualism, greed. We are interested in choice and opportunity, in dignity. Read more