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

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 8 – 9:30 am

As a town that is always on the go we are all looking to maximize our personal and professional efficiency. Join the conversation so we can trade our best tips on working smarter in every aspect of our lives...

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Grab your lunch and come mingle with your fellow changemakers. There is a lot going on in our fair city right now, take a few minutes to pause and connect. Join us for a networking lunch at Roti. Sign up now so we know to save you a seat. Read more

This post was originally published on GrantCraft’s blog, and was authored by Jen Bokoff, Director of GrantCraft and EPIP member. We think it’s extremely useful information in preparation for the JAG Unity Summit. Don’t forget to register, if you haven’t already. Space is limited. 

TIPS FOR “NETWORKING” AT A CONFERENCE by Jen Bokoff

I’m asked all the time how I approach networking at conferences. To be completely honest, “networking” can feel like a dirty word to me because it connotes the transactional business card swap where success is defined by the number of cards in your conference tote bag. Instead, I like to label networking done correctly as “connecting,” where success is defined by the quality of interactions and the potential for sincere follow up.

 

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February 26, 2014

EPIP/Public Allies Webinar: Social Impact Bonds 101 

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“This is now. Now is, all there is. Don’t wait for then; strike the spark, light the fire.” ~Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī As I noted in a blog post in late 2013, I am currently immersed in a year-long master’s program, a Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS). Its progressive approach to leadership and sustainability make it one of the only master’s degrees of its kind in the world. I was attracted to MSLS because of the focus on authentic leadership—leadership that believes innately in goodness, leadership that values individual contributions towards collective impact. MSLS is currently developing their thinking around social sustainability as well, which further enhanced the leadership framework. This leadership approach is one of shared responsibility and co-creation, one of deep trust. It promotes the cultivation of environments that encourage risk-taking and value courage and organizational shared vision. This approach acknowledges that all of these factors contribute to an individual’s commitment to an organization and values the individual contributions that each person brings to an organization, and works to support that individual’s success, both personally and professionally. We recently had a reflection session on our first semester, where we explored the capacities, skills, and ways of thinking that a sustainability leader needs to develop and employ, all things that we had been exploring for the previous five months through group work, inspiring workshops, theoretical lectures, and personal exploration. My mind immediately went to EPIP’s Measure of a Leader. The two frameworks are markedly different, yet they […] Read more