Join EPIP for our 2026 National Conference: Clarity and Courage. Pre conference activities will begin on June 28th, with the main conference beginning at 10:00 am on Monday June 29th.

For more details about the conference and registration, please visit our conference event page. 

The call for sessions is open until February 25th, please submit a session! 

Join us at a Philanthropy Affinity Group Summer Happy Hour at Drake's Dealership on July 30th at 5:30 pm. 

RSVP below if you plan to join us for a casual evening to celebrate the philanthropic community we're building in the Bay Area.

Hosted by: 

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Bay Area (EPIP)

Black Funders Network (BFN)

Asian Americans/ Pacific Islands in Philanthropy Bay Area (AAPIP)

In the kitchen of the midwife. In the garden of the herbalist. In the community that gathered around a new mother not because someone told them to, but because their bodies knew it was right. These were not superstitions. They were sovereign acts. Living technologies born from
ordinary people trusting what moved through them and using it to keep each other alive, whole and free. This is folk sovereignty. The wisdom of the people. And this wisdom is breathing in you right now.

This session is an experiential practice space for emerging practitioners in philanthropy who know that something is moving through them and they are ready to trust it. We will sit with the stories of wisdom-keepers who built this country from the inside out: Black midwives, Indigenous earth-tenders, herbalists and healers who understood that everything changes and that change itself is medicine. We will invoke them as mirrors and guides to sense into what is emerging in us. Together we will excavate, name, and commit to the intuitive wisdom that belongs to this moment, your body and your lineage. We will use the folk practices of collective singing, gentle movement, story telling and deep rest practice to connect with the wisdom of your whispers. You will leave connected to a living practice that will inform how you move forward with your whole self.

Session One: Practicing your Folk Wisdom - September 1, 2026 - Tuesday - 12pm to 1:30 ET
What emerging wisdom has been showing up for you? We will use this session to turn toward
the visions, dreams, sensations and life teachings that have been showing up in our lives over
time and are ready for you to listen.

Session Two: Deepening Practice - October 6, 2026 - Tuesday - 12pm to 1:30 ET
We will use the second session to deepen our trust in what is emerging within us. This will help
us all to stand in our sovereignty as practitioners of important folk ways.

Session Three: New Pathways - November 4, 2026 - Wednesday- 12pm to 1:30 ET
The third session is about sharing stories from the philanthropic sector about tensions or
challenges. Together we will listen for the ways that our folk wisdom can open up new pathways
of possibilities inside our own minds, in our relationships to each other and even for the sector
as a whole.

This program is part of a three-part series designed to build on concepts and conversations from session to session. We encourage participants to attend all three sessions for the fullest experience, but each workshop can also be attended as a standalone event, and drop-ins are always welcome.

Session to be led by Sojourner Zenobia is a multidisciplinary performance artist and healing justice facilitator who has spent decades learning and teaching that creativity, rest, and belonging are skills that we have to keep returning to, together.

Sojourner is the founder of By Moonlight, an art-centered healing justice practice rooted in ancestral knowing, somatic presencing and the premise that underneath every conference name tag, networking lunch and strategic plan lives the inconvenient yet beautiful mess of our humanity. Their work is about what becomes possible when we stop asking people to leave the most wise parts of our humanity at the door.

Their signature offering, the Hush Harbor, is a liberatory affinity space named for the secret gathering places where enslaved Black folks held community, truth-telling and worship beyond the reach of surveillance. For ten years, Sojourner has also held Stillness a meditation and ritual space where hundreds of BIPOC queer folks have deepened their relationship with ancestors, nature and their own spiritual gifts.

Sojourner believes that large-scale, systemic love has never been done before — and that learning to be with our full humanity just beneath the surface is our highest calling. They hold space at the intersection of song, somatics, ancestral memory, and the slow, deliberate architecture of belonging. Based in Chicago and North Carolina, they facilitate healing justice experiences for nonprofit organizations, conferences and communities across the country.

This session is an exclusive offering to EPIP members. If you're having trouble registering, please email [email protected].

Capacity-building, Trust-based Philanthropy, Multi-Year General Operating Support; these well-intentioned concepts and others have seasonally circulated through the philanthropic community for years in response to a variety of valid frustrations voiced by our community partners. However, the issues persist. In an era filled with crises, fiscal uncertainty and institutionalized oppression,
our prospective and current grantees don't need us to facilitate another listening session. They need us to show them that we have their backs. The time has come to go beyond Board-approved grant dockets and to recognize that the advocacy that the community needs comes with a cost. If you've already made the decision to push forward regardless, this session will teach you how to "play chess while others play checkers".

The session will be led by a former Serial Entrepreneur, Non-profit Professional, Grant Writer, Innovative Finance Pioneer and Philanthropy Program Officer turned Government Affairs Consultant dedicated to harnessing some of the most profit-driven concepts from the private sector (private equity, investment banking, public / private partnerships) and re-tooling them into vehicles for social impact. Shaun Randolph brings 15+ years of experience spanning organizational development, philanthropic program management, employee ownership, grant writing and innovative finance.

Please note this session is included in the membership fee for all EPIP members. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are unsure of your membership status or would like to inquire about the benefits of an EPIP membership. If you're having any trouble registering for the event, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. 

Capacity-building, Trust-based Philanthropy, Multi-Year General Operating Support; these well-intentioned concepts and others have seasonally circulated through the philanthropic community for years in response to a variety of valid frustrations voiced by our community partners. However, the issues persist. In an era filled with crises, fiscal uncertainty and institutionalized oppression,
our prospective and current grantees don't need us to facilitate another listening session. They need us to show them that we have their backs. The time has come to go beyond Board-approved grant dockets and to recognize that the advocacy that the community needs comes with a cost. If you've already made the decision to push forward regardless, this session will teach you how to "play chess while others play checkers".

The session will be led by a former Serial Entrepreneur, Non-profit Professional, Grant Writer, Innovative Finance Pioneer and Philanthropy Program Officer turned Government Affairs Consultant dedicated to harnessing some of the most profit-driven concepts from the private sector (private equity, investment banking, public / private partnerships) and re-tooling them into vehicles for social impact. Shaun Randolph brings 15+ years of experience spanning organizational development, philanthropic program management, employee ownership, grant writing and innovative finance.

Please note this session is included in the membership fee for all EPIP members. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are unsure of your membership status or would like to inquire about the benefits of an EPIP membership. If you're having any trouble registering for the event, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. 

Join EPIP for our Fall 2026 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. 

This 3-module curriculum uses a liberatory facilitation lens to accommodate multiple learning styles and methods of engagement. Participants are encouraged to come to sessions relaxed and ready to learn with peers across the country. 

The curriculum is delivered by trained facilitators from within the EPIP community, providing an opportunity for EPIP members and alumni to share their knowledge and perspectives as emerging leaders in the sector. The content is also informed by EPIP’s Inclusive Leadership Framework and develops participants’ sector knowledge, ability to take an equity analysis, and so much more!  

Session Dates: (Registration for the series includes all three modules, which will take place over Zoom) 

• Module 1: Philanthropy History, Ecosystem, and Evolution
  • Wednesday September 15 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST 
• Module 2: Racial Equity and Equity Analysis in Grantmaking
  • Wednesday September 29 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST 
• Module 3: Self-Advocacy and Personal Leadership
  • Wednesday October 13 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST 

Note: the "Add To Calendar" button below will only add the first module of this series. Please make sure you manually hold the times for the 2nd and 3rd modules. 

Investment: $550 for general registration.

EPIP members receives a discounted rate of $375. If you are an EPIP member, click here to access the member rate! Interested in becoming an EPIP member? Visit our membership page or contact [email protected]. 

If you would like to attend but need financial assistance, please email [email protected].

Intended Audience: 
Philanthropology™ is for anyone working in philanthropy, especially people in their first three years in the sector.  

Join EPIP for our Fall 2026 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. 

This 3-module curriculum uses a liberatory facilitation lens to accommodate multiple learning styles and methods of engagement. Participants are encouraged to come to sessions relaxed and ready to learn with peers across the country. 

The curriculum is delivered by trained facilitators from within the EPIP community, providing an opportunity for members like you and alumni to share their knowledge and perspectives as emerging leaders in the sector. (Contact [email protected] to express interest in becoming a facilitator). The content is also informed by EPIP’s Inclusive Leadership Framework and develops participants’ sector knowledge, ability to take an equity analysis, and so much more!  

Session Dates: (Registration for the series includes all three modules, which will take place over Zoom) 

• Module 1: Philanthropy History, Ecosystem, and Evolution
  • Wednesday September 15 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST 
• Module 2: Racial Equity and Equity Analysis in Grantmaking
  • Wednesday September 29 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST 
• Module 3: Self-Advocacy and Personal Leadership
  • Wednesday October 13 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm PST

Investment: $375 for member registration.

Note: the "Add To Calendar" button below will only add the first module of this series. Please make sure you manually hold the times for the 2nd and 3rd modules. 

If you would like to attend but need financial assistance, please email [email protected].

Intended Audience: Philanthropology™ is for anyone working in philanthropy, especially people in their first three years in the sector.  

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the communities, systems, and causes that grantmakers supports. From workforce to education to healthcare to the environment, there are few areas AI won't touch. Yet, emerging practitioners often lack the adequate information, frameworks and networks required to make sense of AI's impact on the communities they serve. Join the National Center for AI, Philanthropy & Society for an introductory webinar designed specifically for EPIP members. Together, we'll demystify what AI actually is, explore its implications for the people and movements we serve and offer a practical roadmap to funders seeking to amplify their AI readiness. Join us November 10th!

Session will be led by Iván Torres, who has spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of social change, political advocacy, and philanthropy. He has served as a grantmaker, program director, and movement builder. Most recently, he led national advocacy efforts at the Center for AI Policy, where he worked to advance federal AI legislation. During his tenure, the Center for AI Policy became a trusted resource for Congressional staffers and elected officials navigating the complexities of this emerging technology. At the Center for AI Policy, Iván distinguished himself as a leading strategist, network builder, and community advocate. He brought a grassroots perspective to a field often dominated by specialized technical and policy research. As a former philanthropic professional, he recognized that foundations were largely unprepared for the seismic shifts AI would bring to the communities and causes they serve. This realization led Iván to found the National Center for AI, Philanthropy & Society. NCAIPS works to ensure that grantmakers have the strategic foresight, tools, and partnerships needed to sustain their missions and support their grantees through AI-driven disruptions.

Please note this session is included in the membership fee for all EPIP members. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are unsure of your membership status or would like to inquire about the benefits of an EPIP membership. If you're having any trouble registering for the event, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the communities, systems, and causes that grantmakers supports. From workforce to education to healthcare to the environment, there are few areas AI won't touch. Yet, emerging practitioners often lack the adequate information, frameworks and networks required to make sense of AI's impact on the communities they serve. Join the National Center for AI, Philanthropy & Society for an introductory webinar designed specifically for EPIP members. Together, we'll demystify what AI actually is, explore its implications for the people and movements we serve and offer a practical roadmap to funders seeking to amplify their AI readiness. Join us November 10th!

Session will be led by Iván Torres, who has spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of social change, political advocacy, and philanthropy. He has served as a grantmaker, program director, and movement builder. Most recently, he led national advocacy efforts at the Center for AI Policy, where he worked to advance federal AI legislation. During his tenure, the Center for AI Policy became a trusted resource for Congressional staffers and elected officials navigating the complexities of this emerging technology. At the Center for AI Policy, Iván distinguished himself as a leading strategist, network builder, and community advocate. He brought a grassroots perspective to a field often dominated by specialized technical and policy research. As a former philanthropic professional, he recognized that foundations were largely unprepared for the seismic shifts AI would bring to the communities and causes they serve. This realization led Iván to found the National Center for AI, Philanthropy & Society. NCAIPS works to ensure that grantmakers have the strategic foresight, tools, and partnerships needed to sustain their missions and support their grantees through AI-driven disruptions.

Please note this session is included in the membership fee for all EPIP members. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are unsure of your membership status or would like to inquire about the benefits of an EPIP membership. If you're having any trouble registering for the event, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].