Emerging professionals want to get off the sidelines. Our members want to participate in efforts that lead to meaningful change in communities we care about. Many of us are naturally talented, innovative, and creative but we all also need to be intentional about continually developing our skills and putting those innate capacities to work. EPIP wants to make sure that we push ourselves as a community toward skill attainment so that we can have the greatest impact within the communities we serve. EPIP members are committed to building a just, equitable, and sustainable society. In order to achieve these large goals, we need to develop the necessary skills to be an effective leader and change maker. Together with human resource professionals, we created a list of skills vital to EPIP member leadership development. Read more

This post originally appeared on World Policy Blog on May 21, 2013: By Nichole Martini and Alexis Ortiz Americans interested in cultural policy often lament the fact that the United States does not have an official national cultural policy.  Without a Ministry of Culture or other similar agency, there is minimal central direction for funding and policy decisions.  Because of this, policy and funding are often conflated in our discussions, and the general argument in the field is for increased funding across the board.  However, there is much more to policy than dollars and cents, and we need to explore the deeper questions of “how,” “why,” and “for whom” decisions about what to support (financially and otherwise) are made in order to effect real, systemic change. On this, individual artists working alone will never be as successful as when the artistic community works together with other institutions or sectors to ensure that the arts have a place at the table. Read more

We’re excited to share our partnership with GOOD Magazine whose quarterly print publication covers social enterprise, design and philanthropy.  Subscriptions are normally $25/year, but EPIP members get 20% off.  Log into Member Connect, then click on Member Resources to access the discount code. GOOD Magazine is also partnering with EPIP for editorial content. Their July issue will focus on health; in particular, good health and well-being. If you have an idea for a compelling story, GOOD is requesting the following information in advance: • Name, Title, Name of organization, URL • Story idea– what’s inspiring about it and how does it relate to the theme? • Bonus: Exciting title/headline It can be really short. We’ll pass the information along to their Managing Editor, and she’ll follow-up on any stories she’s interested in. Please know that there’s no guarantee of getting published– it’s up to the discretion of their Editor. Please send all submission ideas to: [email protected] Writing about issues and concerns about which you are passionate and knowledgeable is a great way to build leadership skills and develop your brand. Take advantage of this opportunity to produce thoughtful work that gets noticed. Read more

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY DONYALE REAVIS, ESQ. (EPIP Philadelphia Steering Committee Member) “Charity begins at home” was one of my paternal grandmother’s favorite lines—my Ga-Ga had a heart of gold for every creature on two or four feet she ever met...

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Kate Seely is the Director of Field Operations with EPIP. She is a leadership development enthusiast, a believer that honest communication and authentic leadership are the underlying keys to any sustainable change we endeavor to effect in this world.  As I have grown in my career over the past 10 years, I have thought a lot about what it means to make change and have learned what I feel are a few valuable lessons. The part that I’m interested in is the personal part, that part that we so often push below, which is so crucial to how we each approach this work. We come at this work with different backgrounds, identities, upbringings, beliefs, inclinations, all of which color how we approach our work and whether we feel fully invested in it. The research on generational shifts shows that work has become more personal with our generation, with individuals feeling committed to causes as opposed to a certain organization or company. EPIP has always placed value on creating a safe space for people of color to talk about identity. Moreover, we believe that we should cultivate space to authentically discuss how identity relates to an individual’s impact, both in the larger world and within our workplaces. As a white girl interested in racial dynamics, racial equity, and deeply engaged with cultures other than my “own,” I have always sidled up to the conversation, not knowing exactly how to engage in the conversations, but wanting oh so badly to do so. […] Read more

This post is by Akira Barclay, EPIP member and former EPIP-NYC steering committee member. It was first featured on the Giving in LA blog. African-Americans have a rich history of philanthropy...

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Thanks to our conversation with Lynn Alvarez and Karin Berger Stellar at EPIP LA’s Spring Leadership Salon, we now know where philanthropy is headed. But do you know where your career is headed and how to get there? Let EPIP LA’s Summer Leadership Salon guide you! Join EPIP LA at our upcoming summer leadership salon: Defining Your Own Leadership: How to Develop a Personal Mission Statement Rosetta Thurman, Co-Author of How to be a Nonprofit Rockstar, will lead a fun, self-discovery workshop that will guide you through a linear, three-step process to complete a personal mission statement that will forever change the way you work, lead and live your life. This process will give you a clear outline of what’s most important to you, what you would like to achieve and who you would like to become, to lead you to a more rewarding life and career. In this session you will: Read more

This post originally appeared on Next Gen Change Agent, the blog of Nakisha Lewis, the EPIP Boston Co-Chair and Program Manager at the Schott Foundation for Public Education.  I grew up in an immigrant community that was steeped in the tradition of collective responsibility where I learned to take care of those around me and to always look for opportunities to support others. In my early years I used my time and talent as an organizer working to transform my community. Now as a philanthropic practitioner I have the privilege of working with foundations and individual donors to support some phenomenal organizations and have come to see firsthand how important it is to financially support the people, issues and movements we care about. And so although I am not independently wealthy, I have developed my own personal philanthropy and am committed to giving to the causes that advance my values. Read more

Doing Good in the 21st Century On April 4-6, more than 250 early-career social sector professionals gathered in Chicago, IL to explore new paradigms of leadership at the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) National Conference. La Piana Consulting was there to launch a joint project with EPIP aimed at examining what “doing good” means in the 21st Century and how the sector can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Read more

EPIP is pleased to announce the re-launch of of our career coaching program through the Effective Leadership Career Program (ELCP). Members can read through full coach bios and contact coaches directly for appointments through Member Connect (login required). All coaches are able to provide coaching sessions over the phone, and, in some cases, via video or in-person. To get you started in thinking about the value of coaching, we have some resources for you, courtesy of Amina Dickerson: Read more