Organizing for Justice: A Skill-Building Training for Funders

11:30 - 4:00pm at Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being

Join EPIP St. Louis for a half-day skill-building session in community organizing! This training is a step for EPIP St. Louis and its membership to activate social justice and impact alongside our partners. We believe building our skills in community organizing is an important step for the philanthropic sector to become ready for real change. Understanding the tools and process of community organizing will help us be better equipped to support inclusive community action. This kind of civic engagement is key to developing and supporting lasting solutions to issues facing communities and presents the unique and essential role funders can play. Not only is it important that funders support organizations who engage in community organizing, advocacy and policy work, but it is important for us to organize as a sector to support our grantees, partners, and communities involved in change movements. 

The training, facilitated by local community organizer Jessica Wernli, will be interactive and introduce the fundamental principles and models of organizing. Attendees DO NOT need to have previous experience in community organizing! Please see more information about Jessica below. 

Agenda:
11:30 - 12:00 | Brown Bag Lunch & Networking
12:00 - 12:40 | Opening & Introductions
12:45 - 1:00 | Community Organizing Overview
1:00 - 2:45 | Community Organizing in Practice
2:45 - 4:00 | Reflection, Takeaways & Evaluation 

Space is limited to 30 people. Please bring your lunch! EPIP St. Louis will provide snacks and dessert. 

Your Voice Matters!

We ask that you fill out this survey to weigh-in to help shape our training. Knowing your level of knowledge and background in this topic, what you hope to receive from this will be very valuable in helping us to shape a training that is most beneficial to our membership. 

About the Facilitator: Jessica Wernli

Jessica Wernli has lived in St. Louis for over six years, working alongside communities throughout the region to effectively use their collective voice and participate in decision-making on the local, state, and national level. 

Jessica first moved to St. Louis to serve as Director of United Congregations of Metro-East (UCM), a grassroots organization made up of faith-based institutions that tackled social justice issues such as equity in education and the workforce, and restorative justice practices. During her four years there, she led a national campaign to update federal hiring regulations to make way for the infrastructure workforce to be reflective of our communities and more inclusive of women and minorities.

For two years, Jessica worked with Social Innovation STL where she challenged stakeholders throughout the region to consider new and creative ways to better meet the needs of traditionally under resourced and overlooked organizations, such as nonprofits led by people of color, neighborhood associations, and small grassroots organizations.

Jessica now works as an independent consultant, partnering with nonprofits and community stakeholders to promote and cultivate resident engagement and community organizing.

Jessica has her Masters in Social Work from University of Illinois in Chicago. She has a certification for facilitation from both the Leadership Strategies Institute as well as the Interaction Institute for Social Change.