Recent protests by pro-immigrant activists in New York City have called attention to the presence of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in the Starrett-Lehigh building in Manhattan that houses one of EPIP’s physical offices. While EPIP is a virtual organization, with employees across the country, we are members of the Centre for Social Innovation and use the offices in Starrett-Lehigh provided through that membership as a part-time workspace for one New York-area employee and one consultant. Until these recent actions, we were unaware that an ICE office was also in the building.

In the interests of full transparency, EPIP has long considered leaving the Starrett-Lehigh building as part of our overall commitment to a virtual workforce and culture, and are embracing this opportunity to operationalize our values and dedication to justice. As such, EPIP will not be renewing our sublease at the Starrett-Lehigh building and is committed to leaving the space this fall.

On June 18, 2019, EPIP held its first People of Color Network (PCN) Regional Gathering in Philadelphia in partnership with EPIP Philly. This half-day event, facilitated by The BIPOC Project, focused on the ways that white supremacy hinders coalition-building between communities of color and how to get past it to build solidarity. Attendees of the intimate convening included EPIP Philly steering committee members Kabria Rogers, who shares her reflections on the day.

This month, we're thinking about the just, equitable, and sustainable world that we name in our mission and are driving towards in all of our work. Sometimes, the journey is long, as seen in the powerful miniseries When They See Us, about the wrongful conviction of the Central Park Five, which has been watched by over 23 million Netflix accounts and recently received 16 Emmy nominations. 

That's why, this month, we have been drawn to:

This piece, written by EPIP Bay Area Steering Committee Member Daniel Lau, was originally published on NCG's blog. We felt it would resonate strongly with EPIP members and share an excerpt here. 

Everyone Counts, No Exceptions: What Does Japanese American Internment Have to Do With the Census?

The announcement came as we were pulling into our halfway point: “We’ll be stopping for about 15 minutes. We’ll also be distributing t-shirts, feel free to use this time to change.” Yes, I thought! I had been eyeing the black t-shirts with ‘Solidarity By Any Means Necessary’ in big block letters since we had gathered in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and gotten on the bus in the wee hours of the morning.

My friend Christine and I were on our way to Manzanar, one of the ten American concentration camps where more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated between 1942-1945. An annual Manzanar Pilgrimage is held on the last Saturday of April to commemorate the experience of Japanese Americans, reflect and heal from the legacy of racial persecution, and draw parallels to current-day racism and xenophobia. April 27, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Manzanar Pilgrimage, and through the organizing efforts of our regional PSO (Philanthropy-Serving Organization) counterpart Southern California Grantmakers; Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation - Los Angeles; and Vigilant Love, I was able to join along. Through the experience, I was not only able to deepen my personal practice of equity and social justice, but also connect it to NCG’s Public Policy efforts and one of the most important democratic activities of our country - the decennial census.   

When we at EPIP announced the departure of Executive Director Tamir Novotny in May, we knew two things were certain – 1) that we would continue to be a strong and leaderful organization, committed to our mission of building a just, equitable, and sustainable philanthropic sector and 2) that our community would stand beside us every step of the way. And true to form, our community has provided us with invaluable feedback and an outpouring of support, for which we are truly grateful. Your commitment to our shared vision for the sector, even during this period of transition, is inspiring and it is precisely why we remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure EPIP pushes forward to reach our goals and to build a sector that we can all be proud of.  

It was therefore important that we as an organization took our time to consider a path forward and to identify someone who embodies our values, is respected and trusted within the EPIP community and larger philanthropic sector, and can lead the organization through this transition period.  And so, it is with great excitement that we would like to announce that effective July 1st, Storme Gray, EPIP’s current Director of Programs, has been named EPIP’s Interim Executive Director.

This month we’re thinking a lot about stories - who tells them, who is centered in them, and who benefits from them. At EPIP's recent PCN Regional event, the participants talked about “stock stories” - harmful false narratives that are repeated until they feel like truths - and the damage that they can do to marginalized communities whose real stories and voices are ignored.

• Some stock stories can be hidden in stories of victory, as noted in this powerful editorial from Out Magazine about the changing nature of Pride and the need to prioritize organizations and movements led by QTPOC (queer and trans people of color) within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Other stock stories can be those we tell within our own organizations that reinforce harmful stereotypes, as Itzbeth Menjívar notes in a blog post about racism within the social sector.

That's why we're thrilled to have resources that talk directly to and with marginalized communities and those that hold us accountable for what we do and how we work.

How can foundations create a culture that makes early- and mid-career philanthropy practitioners feel welcome and supported? Jennifer Oldham of The Healing Trust responds to the Dissonance & Disconnects report with Relationships Are Our Work, a blog post featuring three culture building practices that could help engage and retain employees, while EPIP member Alex Goldman shares his take on what it is like to be a newcomer to the sector in Shifting Philanthropy as a Praxis: 2019 Is Going to be Emergent.

New resources and reports are also abundant this month, with The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) and Grantmakers for Effective Organization (GEO) offering guides to incorporating racial justice and learning into foundations' work, while Women's Philanthropy Institute and Grantmakers in Health take a closer look at the funding landscape for women's foundations and health funders.

A Statement from the EPIP Board of Advisors:

After nearly four years, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) and our Executive Director, Tamir Novotny, have parted ways.

A former EPIP chapter leader, Tamir brought his belief in EPIP’s members and his commitment to social justice to advance EPIP’s work. EPIP’s shared accomplishments during his tenure include our 2017 strategic plan, which shifted EPIP’s central focus to advancing equity; the release of EPIP’s Dissonance & Disconnects report, which gave voice to the experiences of early- and mid-career practitioners and garnered the attention of the philanthropic sector; and the expansion of EPIP’s membership.

Ever read a book about philanthropy and wonder who you can call to discuss? This March, EPIP Philly launched our new quarterly book club to bring together EPIP Philly members and others in the world of philanthropy to discuss the hottest new philanthropic reads. We started with Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva, which came out this past October and gives a provocative look at the dysfunctional colonial dynamics in philanthropy. Haven’t read the book? Check out this article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Edgar Villanueva for an overview of the key concepts, including his seven steps towards healing.

Note: EPIP Philly’s next book club event is June 27th! We’ll be discussing White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. RSVP here - we look forward to seeing you there!

As EPIP welcomes our new Advisory Board officers for 2019, we want to acknowledge the service and dedication of three board members who left the board in late 2018 - Dwayne Marshall, Nicholas Pelzer, and Regan Gruber Moffitt. Each has had a significant role in shaping who we are as an organization and has given their time, resources, and knowledge to help us succeed.