Emerging Practitioners as Agents of Culture

As the now-old saying goes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Though sometimes unspoken, culture is a pervasive force in the workplace that shapes us and determines our effectiveness.

Organizational culture is gaining new visibility in philanthropy, in particular, as it plays an important role in how we interact with nonprofit partners and with the communities we serve, and it influences how we approach the grantmaking we conduct. Ultimately, it affects our abilities to be agents of positive social change. As younger professionals, we often enter into established workplaces whose cultures are shaped by organizations’ histories or by senior leaders.

Join EPIP Boston on Friday, April 1, at 8:30 a.m., for a conversation over coffee to discuss two recent, short publications on the impact of culture on philanthropy:

• Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO): The Source Codes of Foundation Culture interactive microsite
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy op-ed: “It’s Not Foundation Money but Culture and Talent That Can Change the World”

As a group, we will:

• Examine the “source codes” of our own organizations’ cultures.
• Discuss how culture plays out in the work that we do.
• Exchange ideas with peers about how, as emerging practitioners, to contribute to strong and positive philanthropic workplace cultures.

The conversation will be facilitated by Stephanie Guidry, program officer for nonprofit effectiveness at The Boston Foundation.

Meet in the Atrium of the 10 St. James/75 Arlington Building, in front of Davios-to-Go, where you can grab coffee and a bite before diving into discussion. Click here for directions.

RSVP below so we can keep you informed of any changes, and mark your calendars for EPIP Boston breakfast conversations later this year:

• Wednesday, June 1, 8:30 a.m. in Cambridge
• Thursday, August 11, 8:30 a.m. in Boston