EPIP-NY Event: Tapping the Crowd to Solve Social Inequity

January 22nd

With generous support from the Surdna Foundation, our EPIP-NY chapter partnered with Housing Works Bookstore Cafe to host a fascinating panel discussion on crowdfunding for social change.  The distinguished panel explored a number of issues in the emerging field and left attendees with a deeper understanding of crowdfunding’s current impact, and its potential for the future.

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By Nicole Rose Nieman, 2013 Emerging Leaders International Fellow, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, The Graduate Center, CUNY “What is the role of philanthropy in the 21st Century?”  A friend challenged me before I left my home country, South Africa, for a semester fellowship in New York City this past fall.  I came to this global epicenter of philanthropy for a fresh perspective on the role and relevance of ‘the love of humankind’ in an increasingly complex, dynamic global society. Like many before me, I quickly fell in love with the vibrant, unique and dynamic NYC. However, I have been unable to shake certain parallels that emerged so strongly with my beloved South Africa, namely gross inequalities that fall predominantly along racial lines. Not so different Unlike my home country, where violent crime dictates where you can and should not go, I found a new freedom of movement in New York’s city center.  However, I was quickly warned where beyond those bounds I would need to be accompanied, even in daylight.  As in cities the world over, freedom of movement, for residents and non-residents alike, is restricted along the lines of affluence and race. Even at a glance it was obvious.  The way the metro lines deteriorated the further up from Manhattan you went, who used the metro and who climbed out where, where resources were allocated and what it cost to access them, etc.  Beneath the shiny surface, these divides appeared well-devised, or at least well-maintained by a powerful set […] Read more

Earlier this year I wrote about how intentionally collaborating across generational and hierarchical boundaries is not just a nice, collegial thing to do: it is a necessity. The fact is that there are dozens of generationally-specific leadership development networks (mostly geared at Millennials) but very few networks that provide serious cross-generational dialogue and problem -solving around the full pipeline of nonprofit talent and intergenerational leadership issues. 

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Thursday, January 30, 2014 11:45 am – 1 pm Note: We had a wonderful event, thank you everyone for attending. Ann was kind enough to post her presentation on her blog. Memos and metrics, emails and texts, newsletters and reports: Is your organization suffering from information overload? We consume 34 gigabytes, or 100,500 words, of information every day. Our brains are overwhelmed and struggling to keep up. Data visualization–or dataviz–is one of the strongest weapons against information overload. Colorful diagrams, well-designed charts, and engaging infographics are easy to digest and fun to share. Dataviz can get your colleagues to pay attention to your organization’s most important data. Dataviz can captivate and catalyze your supporters. And dataviz can improve your communication power with pretty much every audience you’re hoping to inform or sway. So get started! On January 30, 2014, Innovation Network’s Ann Emery will lead an EPIP brown bag titled “Dataviz for Philanthropists: How to Communicate Better with Charts.” She’ll start by setting the stage: What is dataviz? Why do our brains crave images over text? We’ll also discuss how you can use charts to communicate information better during your Board meetings; in your annual reports, newsletters, and mailings; and through your group’s social media channels. Next, Ann will share simple strategies for improving any chart–like reducing clutter, adding a Twitter-like headline, and using colors to emphasize your most important points. We’ll conclude with hands-on practice, focusing on before-and-after remakes from foundations and affinity groups like yours. Want to get […] Read more

This post was authored by Sharon Rice, Director of Community Relations at Generocity.org and member of EPIP Philadelphia. Sharon attended this year’s People of Color Network gathering in Boston. Following are her reflections on the convening.

The People of Color Network (PCN) came together for a gathering in Cambridge Massachusetts and, as a member of EPIP Philadelphia, I saw this as an opportunity to connect with more of my peers working in the foundation community. It was an uplifting and inspiring couple of days, and I walked away from the event with one thing on my mind: the science of connection.

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EPIP members receive a 15% discount off all grantmaking courses. Course prices vary. More details can be found by logging in to Member Connect and navigate to “How to access partner organization benefits for members”. 

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Our recap of EPIP’s events, programs, appearances, and accomplishments in 2013 has just been published. Read more about what kept us all so busy, working toward building more just and equitable communities. EPIP’s 2013 Annual Report (1.1 MB)   Read more

In conjunction with EPIP's PCN gathering in November 2013, and together with the Proteus Fund and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University, EPIP co-hosted a workshop and session on “The Science of Wringing Out Racial Bias ” that was free and open to the public. The workshop was presented by Johanna Wald of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute. It was immediately followed by a panel discussion between Denise Porche, Executive Director of the Island Foundation, Amber Bradley, Director of Assessment Tools at the Center for Effective Philanthropy, and EPIP’s own Rahsaan Harris to discuss the philanthropic implications of implicit bias, and was moderated by Andrew Grant-Thomas, Director of Programs at the Proteus Fund.

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Webinar – Bringing Entrepreneurial Skills into Grantmaking Practices

October 2, 2013 

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Navigating Shifting Sands:  What We Can All Learn From Jewish Charitable Giving

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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