In 2019, on every 4^th Tuesday of the month, different members of our EPIP St. Louis community will lead monthly discussion on a particular topic or article. Grab a friend, bring your lunch and come prepared to meet new people and discuss ways to move the sector forward. EPIP St. Louis will provide snacks and dessert. 

Funder Spotlight: Black Funders of St. Louis

This month we are joined by Maranda Witherspoon Richardson, CEO and Principal of MWR Coaching and Consulting. She founded the Black Funders of St. Louis (BFSTL) and operationalized the group in April 2016 with the support of 6 other founding members. BFSTL was founded on the principle of collectively pooling time, talent, and treasures to support and transform Black communities. 

As we celebrate Black History Month, come learn about this important work and engage in conversation about the need for, and gift of, Black Philanthropy. 

About BFSTL:

"The Black Funders of St. Louis (BFSTL) giving circle is a nontraditional form of philanthropy with a mission that encourages its membership to pool time, talents, and treasures to invest in the black community and positively impact the well-being of black children, youth, adults and families in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. This will be achieved through awarding grants and financial support, capacity building, and volunteer activities to support black-led nonprofit organizations in line with the mission of BFSTL and serving black children, youth, adults and families in the St. Louis metropolitan area primarily but not limited to St. Louis City and St. Louis County."

About the Speaker: Maranda Witherspoon Richardson

Maranda Richardson, MPPA, is CEO and Principal of MWR Coaching and Consulting. Mrs. Richardson earned a Masters of Public Policy with a concentration on Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Missouri St. Louis, a bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Planning from Tennessee State University and an approved international Coaching Federation certification from Coach Diversity in Washington, DC. She brings over 15 years of experience working to advance racial equity in the social service, philanthropic, and government field by working with organizations and in communities least served. As CEO and Principal of MWR Consulting, Mrs. Richardson focuses on transforming lives, engaging communities, and advancing equity. 

EPIP Boston's next breakfast discussion will take place on Thursday, February 28th, at 8am. We'll meet at The Well Coffee House in Boston, a nonprofit coffee shop, staffed by volunteers, that donates a portion of its proceeds every month to selected nonprofits in the Boston area.

This month, we'll be discussing the Sunshine Movement and support for the Green New Deal--specifically around this article from InsidePhilanthropy.com: "Sunrise Movement is Shaking Up the Climate Debate. Will More Funders Pay Attention?"

Please read the article in advance, and feel free to consider our discussion questions, available for viewing here. 

Looking forward to seeing you!

What are you doing for lunch on March 15th? Want to grab a bite to eat with Shawn Escoffery, Executive Director of the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation? Us too.

Join EPIP LA for an intimate lunch conversation with one of the most influential leaders around the country when it comes to building more just and inclusive economies. Ask him about leadership, career trajectory, and his vision for the Foundation.

Lunch will be provided, just bring your questions!

Shawn Escoffery is the Executive Director of the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation – the foundation invests in innovative solutions and community leaders to build a more just, equitable and sustainable world in which all people thrive.  Prior to joining RPDFF Shawn directed the Strong Local Economics program at the Surdna Foundation – a nationally focused family foundation with over $1 billion dollars in assets. In this role, Shawn worked to support the development of robust and sustainable economies that include a wide range of businesses, equitable economic policy and access to quality jobs. As an urban planner with over 15+ years of experience, Shawn has worked on community economic development and affordable housing projects in Newark, Baltimore and New Orleans. Shawn holds a BA in Political Science and English from Rutgers and a Master’s of City Planning from MIT. He also holds certificates in Communications and International Relations, Urban Redevelopment and Effective Leadership from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University, respectively.

The EPIP LA Giving Circle is hosting a meet-and-greet with our latest grantee, 1in6.

Join us to learn more about their incredible work (and about EPIP LA's fabulous Giving Circle!).

Food and drinks will be provided.

Ever read a book and wonder who can I call to discuss? Look no further EPIP Philly is starting a book club! Everyone now has a place to talk through philanthropic related reads. First up is Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva. Published in October 2018, Decolonizing Wealth weaves a provocative analysis of the dysfunctional colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance and offers a prescription to restoring balance and healing our divides using the guidance of indigenous wisdom.

We encourage you to dive into the text, read some articles about the book, and come curious and open to dialogue. As a start, might we suggest an interview with Edgar Villanueva done by former EPIP staff, Biz Ghormley?

Together, we can learn how to become decolonizers. We look forward to seeing you in March!

Whether you are just starting to think about building your professional brand and pursuing panel opportunities for the first time, or you are a seasoned panelist and want to brush up on best practices for how to moderate an upcoming panel, this workshop is for YOU!

Join EPIP LA colleagues and our honored guests for rotating break-out discussions on topics such as:

• How to brand yourself as a potential moderator/panelist candidate
• How to prepare in advance for moderating a panel
• How to moderate a panel in action, and tackling sensitive issues with grace

This workshop will feature the following leaders from the field:

 Angel Roberson Daniels, Executive Director, Angell Foundation

 Alex M. Johnson, Program Director, The California Wellness Foundation

 Christine Margiotta, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners LA

We are particularly interested in exploring together how to keep issues of equity and inclusion in mind while planning and executing your panel. Please come ready to participate in small group discussions, and with a couple lessons learned from any recent panel experiences!

Please plan to eat lunch before joining us. Refreshments will be provided.