Why join us?

We’re the only organization that does what we do. We exist to serve and empower emerging leaders: the people who are building their roles in philanthropy today, and will one day be running philanthropic institutions and nonprofits.

We develop and deliver unique and valuable programming that builds the leadership skills and knowledge base of emerging foundation professionals. We provide formal and informal coaching, professional development, and other boosters for your career. We connect you with other EPIP members working across the field of philanthropy and nonprofits. We dissolve the boundaries that can make it difficult to start careers in philanthropy and grow within them.

Who are we?

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP), a project of Tides, is a national network of foundation professionals and other change makers who strive for excellence and equity in the practice of philanthropy. Our mission is to empower emerging leaders and elevate philanthropic practice in order to build a more just, equitable and sustainable world. We envision a world where people of all identities can live full and prosperous lives, supported by a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and effective philanthropic sector. 

To realize this vision, we push ourselves and our members to think more critically about our role as philanthropic professionals and work towards becoming inclusive philanthropic professionals who center equity in all facets of our work and interactions with others. We welcome members from all sectors and ages who are passionate about using philanthropy to build a more equitable world.

EPIP Member Benefits

Professional & Leadership Development

Learn from professional development designed for emerging, inclusive philanthropic professionals looking to center equity throughout their work and interactions.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Discounted access to EPIP national conferences and conference recordings
• Virtual learning opportunities, including the Philanthropology™ curriculum, which uses a social justice framing to ground participants in the philanthropic sector
• Leadership opportunities, including local and regional chapter leadership, national conference committee participation, and more
• Discounted Coaching
• Opportunity to be featured in the EPIP Blog or Monthly Newsletter (email [email protected] if you are interested!)

Community Building

Build community with a national network of emerging philanthropic professionals across the sector through our EPIP chapters and communities of practice.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Chapter events across the country, including lunch & learns, social coffee chats, learning series, discussions with local and philanthropic leaders, and more**
• The People of Color Network (PCN), a community of practice for practitioners who identify as members of color
• New in 2021: Communities of practice for emerging women leaders of color and white allies

**Virtual until they can be held safely in person

Advocacy & Innovation: A Voice In The Sector

In 2018, EPIP surveyed our members and other early and mid-career practitioners in the sector for their perspectives on working in the field, releasing the findings in our Dissonance & Disconnects report. We also partnered with Funders for LGBTQ Issues and CHANGE Philanthropy on The 2018 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals Report: A Tale of Two Sectors, which measured diversity within the philanthropic sector. Going forward, we will continue to raise awareness and advocate for the issues that matter to our membership.

Have something in the philanthropic sector that you'd like to speak out about? Email us at [email protected] if you have an idea for a blog topic and we'd be happy to work with you to share it with the EPIP community!