Martin Luther King, Jr. is the model of a leader. He is the prototype for the kind of leader EPIP strives to create. It is a lofty goal but it is the marker we must set if we are building a movement of people committed to making the world more just, equitable, and sustainable.

I was fortunate to travel to Washington, DC on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. I boarded a bus in the early morning hours of August 28th with my Big Brothers Big Sisters mentee and a former student of mine from my teaching days and his two sons.

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This post was authored by Charley Ice, who is an active member of EPIP-Hawaii. Charley grew up in Yosemite and studied sociology and political science at Berkeley in the Vietnam era, followed by a masters in urban planning in Hawaii. He’s been in Hawaii for 40 years, and is a proponent of Hawaiian issues, environmental and social justice issues, in addition to holding interests in economics and current events. Charley chairs the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party, and serves as a union shop steward at his office in the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management, where they tackle cutting edge issues in the public trust. He is also a boardmember of the Hawaii People’s Fund, a small seed-grant agency focused on social and environmental justice, whose motto is “change, not charity”.  

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Bringing Entrepreneurial Skills into Grantmaking Practices

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Investment in public interest media is exploding, and with it, creative and rigorous approaches to impact evaluation. Join Media Impact Funders and The Paley Center for Media for a lively and productive daylong convening that will explore new technologies and key case studies in the rapidly shifting assessment field.

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Did you have a chance to catch the Stanford Social Innovation Review piece “The Cliff of Unintended Consequences” earlier this year? The authors discuss what we already know to be a sad truth about our sector – the dismal lack of financial resources available for talent development. Additionally, we are up against the mindset that nonprofit workers are so passionate for the cause that they don’t require any attention to their professional development. The business sector gets it, though, equating talent with strong performance. The authors estimate that the nonprofit sector has lost a stunning $36 billion by not having appropriate succession and talent development plans. Wow. Read more

For those of you in the NYC area, you may be interested to know of the NYU Reynolds R.E.A.L. Workshop Series (Real, Entrepreneurial, Actionable, Learning) designed to support social entrepreneurs and other changemakers with the necessary skills and knowledge that will lead to success. These workshops are open to the public, and nearly all are free (unless otherwise noted). Space is limited, and RSVP is required. You can see the full Fall 2013 schedule here.

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Jenny Achilles is a Program Officer for Philanthropy at TG in Round Rock, Texas. She began as a graduate intern at TG in September 2012 and transitioned to full-time employment May 1, 2013. She recently joined Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy and attended training at The Grantmaking School in Grand Rapids, MI, July 29-30.  She responded to the EPIP Summer Challenge to share her experiences at The Grantmaking School.  This is her story. Read more

Following is a guest post from Darrell Scott, a former EPIP member who currently works as an Online Organizing Associate at Accelerate Change in Washington, DC. Darrell also sits on the board of YNPN. His interests lie in new models for civic engagement, social innovation, and movement building.  I spent two years in philanthropy, working as a fellow at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem, NC. I learned a ton, specifically about North Carolina’s funding landscape, statewide strategies for social change, and how to support racial equity in the nonprofit sector. Beyond my lessons learned, I always had the opportunity to meet brilliant minds from across the state. Through my participation in EPIP, however, I joined a community of emerging leaders from around the country. One of the key things I heard consistently were funders struggling to help grantees grow to scale and become financially self-sustainable. Read more

Wednesday, September 25 – 6:00 pm The San Diego Foundation 2508 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, 92106 EPIP San Diego will welcome Christine Reeves, Senior Field Associate at National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, for a presentation on philanthropy’s focus on social justice and marginalized communities. She will present a picture of this area of philanthropy throughout our sector as well as specific strategies for empowering (not just serving) marginalized communities. Come for discussion, activities and brainstorming about where our sector could go. We’ll ask: What is social justice? Who defines it? Who measures it? Why do some find it taboo? Cost: EPIP Members free; Non-EPIP Members $10 RSVP and find out more here. Read more

Hosted by EPIP San Diego & San Diego Grantmakers October 29, 2013 5:00pm – Leader Salon (Free for EPIP Members; $10 for non-EPIP Members) 6:00pm – Reception (Free to All) RSVP here The San Diego Chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) and San Diego Grantmakers (SDG) invite you to a cross-generational learning and networking event to kick off “Building Philanthropy: Reaching New Heights,” the title of this year’s SDG Annual Conference. Read more