Organizing for Justice 2.0: A Skill-Building Training for Funders

November 13th, 2019
8:00am - 12:30pm
Missouri Foundation for Health

Join EPIP St. Louis for a half-day skill-building session in community organizing! 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. 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 will be interactive and build on fundamental principles and models of organizing that were introduced in the training we held in 2018. Participants will also be introduced to organizing tools like power mapping, hear from a panel of community organizers, and have time to reflect on how organizing tools can be used within their current work setting.  

The training, facilitated by local community organizer Jessica Wernli, will build on some of the fundamental principles and models of organizing. EPIP St. Louis hosted its first community organizing training in 2018, and this training will recap and add to the content of that training. Attendees DO NOT need to have previous experience in community organizing!

The cost for this training is $25 for non-EPIP members and free for EPIP members. You can find information about joining EPIP here. If the cost of the training is a barrier to your participation, please e-mail Sarah Smith at [email protected]. 

Agenda:
8:00 - 8:30     | Continental breakfast & networking
8:30 - 9:00     | Opening, introductions, & recap of 2018 EPIP St. Louis training
9:00 - 9:45     | Power mapping
9:45 - 10:45   | Building a change-making campaign
10:45 - 12:00 | Supporting grassroots social justice organizations
12:00 - 12:15 | What’s your plan?
12:15 - 12:30 | Closing

EPIP St. Louis will provide a continental breakfast. 

About the Facili-trainer: Jessica Wernli

Jessica Wernli has lived in St. Louis for eight 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.

Following her time at UCM, Jessica worked with Social Innovation STL (now the Community Innovation and Action Center) 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. While at SISTL, she co-wrote a white paper titled “Strengthening the St. Louis Regions’ Community Benefit Organizations.”

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

She partnered with WePower St. Louis in developing the curriculum for their Power Building Academy, a 7-month community organizing training program for residents. She currently serves as a trainer for the Academy, where she teaches and helps residents develop and execute a local campaign.

Jessica is also a part of a collective of local black female activists called HeartCrew. With HeartCrew, Jessica has led creative actions in St. Louis including a local #MuteRKelly protest, How to Get away with Murder STL street theater performance, and the Where’s Lyda? Street Town Halls. The collective work of HeartCrew is at the center of a developing docuseries called “Movement Women”.

Jessica has her master’s 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.