EPIP News & Events
Reflections on the road ahead
Like so many of you, we at EPIP have been grappling with how to show up and make sense of the political moment unfolding over this last month (and arguably, over the last months, years, or centuries depending on when you start the clock). Across the team, we have felt rage, fear, horror, despair… and also hope, curiosity, connection, resourcefulness, and commitment. Through all of this, we’re trying to practice the act of witnessing: all that each other are holding, all that we are experiencing, and how we are continuing to tend to our spirits and hearts through so much uncertainty and forthcoming upheaval and institutional violence against our communities.
Audre Lorde wrote that to be radical is to grasp at the root of things, and we know that at the root within this nation is the genocidal, violent, dominating logics of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. Octavia Butler, when asked about her futurist writing in the 1990s, explained that she was not predicting a doomsday future, but merely taking the trends she saw to their natural conclusion were they not addressed at the root.
So while we are not shocked about where we find ourselves now, we recognize that many of us are in a prolonged state of shock about where to go from here.
Moments like these are why so many of us have come to philanthropy. We know that we have a responsibility to continue to show up and direct resources to those fighting on the front lines for a more equitable and just world, whether that will be accessing vital materials services or fighting for immigrant rights, securing bodily autonomy and abortion access, or trying to maintain the threads of democratic process that remain in tact.
Not only do we have a responsibility as philanthropic practitioners, but as individuals who are committed to the long arc of justice, we have to recognize our power to co-create the beautiful, liberated world that we so long to experience.
A few weeks ago, we hosted a workshop on surviving and thriving amidst the DEI backlash, and included some post-election processing space. What emerged from the discussion was potent and powerful: we must not cede our power pre-emptively before it is taken; we know we will rapidly need to adjust our skills and practices amidst a changing political environment; and that many of us are already so very tired from doing the work of justice against the tide.
We are committed to holding space for you to feel, witness, and strategize together. We, too, are bracing for what will unfold in this next administration. But we know we’ve got each other, that the EPIP community is full of brilliance and creativity, and we know that together we know a lot.
We wish you care this holiday season and hope that you can fill your cup with community.
Signed,
Storme Gray, President & CEO
Join the Winter 2025 Cohort of Philanthropology
In order to use philanthropy to drive social change, it is crucial that new practitioners in the sector understand its context, history, and challenges. Philanthropology™ is EPIP's signature curriculum that responds to this need with an in-depth critical study of philanthropy through a social justice lens that includes academic and practitioner perspectives.
The Philanthropology™ curriculum includes 9 hours of synchronous virtual sessions spread over several weeks supplemented by reading materials, videos, and reflection activities. Participants learn the landscape and history of the philanthropic sector and dig into concepts like intersectionality, movement building, grantmaking with an equity lens, and strategies for putting this knowledge into practice.
Winter 2025 Cohort dates:
Module 1: Philanthropy History, Ecosystem, and Evolution | Wednesday, February 19 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. PST
Module 2: Racial Equity and Equity Analysis in Grantmaking | Wednesday, March 5 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PST
Module 3: Self-Advocacy and Personal Leadership | Wednesday, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PST
Member Registration Investment: $375 | Member registration is now open here.
General Registration Investment: $550 | General registration is now open here.
The Future is Here - Trista’s Predictions for 2025
Join us for FutureGood’s 2025 Predictions webinar, happening January 23 from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. EST. Trista Harris will reveal the key trends set to shape the nonprofit and foundation landscape in the coming year. Together, we’ll explore the biggest disruptions and new opportunities ahead, and Trista will share practical ways you can start using futurism tools to help your organization stay prepared and proactive. This interactive session includes hands-on activities, so you’ll leave with real-world strategies to take on 2025 with confidence. Let’s get ready for what’s next—together!
Learn more and register today.
Join EPIP National Staff in Los Angeles!
Unwind your day with EPIP staff and the EPIP L.A. chapter at First Draft Taproom! Join us on December 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an evening of networking, connection, and community as we come together over light bites and drinks. Whether you're here to meet new faces or catch up with familiar ones, this is the perfect chance to relax and recharge.
Communities of Practice
EPIP’s Communities of Practice give emerging professionals a space to grow, learn, and connect with their peers. Available Communities of Practice are:
- The People of Color Network: The People of Color Network (PCN) is a professional development and peer support network for EPIP members who identify as people of color. The PCN is designed to address the intersections of challenges and opportunities that are unique to emerging people of color in the sector. The spaces we provide, whether in person or virtual, are places where we hope you can show up in your wholeness to connect, vent, share strategies with peers, and learn key skills. This community of practice will meet again in early 2025.
- The Emerging Women of Color Community of Practice: The Emerging Women of Color (EWOC) community of practice was launched in 2022, focused on leadership development and network weaving for early- and mid-career women of color in philanthropy. Created in response to member requests, this community provides leadership development through the lens of race and gender. It also works to connect early-career women of color with a network of peers so that it takes less effort to ‘find your people’ in the field. This community of practice will meet again in early 2025.
- White Affinity Community of Practice: EPIP launched this space in 2021 to provide a rigorous and supportive environment for members who identify as white to deepen their knowledge of antiracism and develop skills and strategies to advance racial equity and inclusive leadership practices in philanthropy, unpack and process the harmful effects of white privilege and white supremacy culture including how both show up within individuals and institutions, and discuss shared challenges and experiences. The latest cohort concluded this summer. Stay tuned for updates about future cohorts!
Contact [email protected] with any questions or to express interest in getting involved as a facilitator for future sessions.
Chapter News & Events
EPIP CO | 2024 Holiday Party
Join EPIP Colorado for an evening of community and cheer at our 2024 holiday party! Enjoy a hosted bar and appetizers with your fellow philanthrofolk to say goodbye to 2024 and dream together about 2025.
Join the EPIP Bay Area Steering Committee & Attend a Social to Learn More!
Applications for the EPIP Bay Area steering committee are now open. Please fill out an interest form by January 17th.
Want to learn more about the steering committee? Join us for an End of Year Social Hour to meet current members, and enjoy snacks and drinks with colleagues.
EPIP Chicago | New Year, New View, New You! Co-work with EPIP in the Loop!
Kick off the new year with EPIP Chicago! We are hosting a cozy co-working space at Chicago’s Impact House, where we can connect and co-work. Impact House is a 40,000 square-foot work club specifically for the city's Funders and Changemakers. The purpose of Impact House is to connect, serve and support Chicago's granting organizations and impact leaders. EPIP will bring coffee and breakfast. You can bring the vibes and connection.
Sector News & Events
Register Now: Hispanics in Philanthropy and Native Americans in Philanthropy Joint Conference!
For the first time, Hispanics in Philanthropy and Native Americans in Philanthropy are uniting for a groundbreaking joint conference. This historic collaboration will amplify the voices of Latine and Indigenous communities and cultivate pathways toward collective liberation.
Early bird registration is now open! Join these CHANGE partners in Albuquerque, New Mexico from June 16-18, 2025 for an empowering space for philanthropy, leadership, and transformative change within our communities.
Apply Today: HIP Líderes Fellowship
Hispanics in Philanthropy is excited to announce the first regional cohort of the Líderes Fellowship, supporting West Coast based leaders from California, Oregon, and Washington state. Applications are live and close on January 25, 2025!
The Líderes fellowship cultivates a diverse group of mid-career Latines in philanthropy and nonprofits to promote systemic change through racial healing in a safe environment that supports their ability to advance equity in the field while strengthening their professional development and fostering new relationships.
Attend AAPIP’s 35th Anniversary Conference
Celebrating 35 years since its founding, Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) will be hosting its National Network Convening in Chicago, IL on May 19-21, 2025!
The Convening will offer spaces for funders to deepen their understanding of AANHPI community needs and what role they can play in supporting AANHPI movements, spaces for connection and community building across AAPIP’s national network, and spaces for joy and celebration in the face of the many struggles our communities are grappling with.
Learn more and register today.
Register now for Funding Forward 2025
Funders for LGBTQ Issues is proud to announce that Funding Forward 2025 is coming to Houston, Texas from March 31 – April 3 with March 31 being a pre-session day! Funding Forward is the annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues organized by the affinity group Funders for LGBTQ Issues. Register here.
Learn more about Funding Forward.
What We’re Reading, Watching & Listening To
- How to Become a Change Leader - Lita Ugarte Pardi, PEAK Grantmaking
- Candid Updates its Taxonomy with Community Input - Laia Griñó, Candid
- Will the Revolution Be Funded? - Zac Chapman and Nairuti Shastry, The Forge
- Statement in Opposition to H.R.9495 - United Philanthropy Forum
- HR 9495: Bill Threatening Nonprofits Passes House - Isaiah Thompson, Nonprofit Quarterly
Job Board
Looking for a new opportunity?
The positions below are just the beginning. Check our Job Board for more opportunities from around the country!
- Learning Fellow - Ktisis Capital, Remote
- Program Officer - The LA84 Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
- Director of Impact Investing - Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, Redwood City, CA
Want to explore the Job Board's filters and special features? Log in to your member account or join EPIP today.
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