EPIP News & Events

Why Mentorship Matters

This past week, the EPIP team held an extremely energizing board meeting. Not only did we welcome 6 new board members (you’ll learn more about them next month!), we got a preview of the discovery findings for our strategic framework refresh. For the last many months, we’ve been working with Mandala Change Group to conduct interviews with members, chapter leaders, funding partners, and peer organizations. The findings are exciting, affirming, and give us a lot to think about for the years ahead at EPIP. We can’t wait to share the results and new strategic framework with you in 2025.

During our discussion, we were reminded of the importance of intergenerational learning and mentorship; how sacred and needed spaces are for dialogue and discernment between those brand new to our field and those who have been navigating these waters for decades. While many of our EPIP spaces are designed for those newer to the field of philanthropy, our conference was a great example of the possibilities that emerge when we get the full spectrum of philanthropic changemakers together in one room. If you’re looking for more one-on-one support, a few of our chapters currently offer mentorship programs, and we are always happy to try and connect our members to former EPIP champions in their local region. 

As we turn the corner to Q4 and a season of uncertainty on the national scale, we look to the wisdom of our elders, our youth, and our peers. How can we navigate and balance between vision, hope, concern, and anger? How can we get even clearer on our vision and purpose so that we can continue to advance a more transformative philanthropic sector? We hope you’ll join us at one of the Q4 community of practice spaces, or at our workshop on 11/19 around facing and navigating the DEI backlash as emerging leaders in philanthropy. As always, these spaces will help you find your people and provide access to the space and skills to navigate our sector in alignment with your values and vision.

Surviving and Thriving through the DEI Backlash - Philanthropy’s Role

As a follow-up to one of our most well-attended sessions at EPIP 2024, we will be offering an online workshop to all EPIP members: navigating and surviving the DEI backlash. Please join us on November 19 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST for this interactive and guided workshop that will help you strategize and build relationships as we think through our roles as practitioners in philanthropy during this most recent DEI backlash. What do we need to thrive? How can we come together? We will hear from EPIP members actively engaging in these questions, but please plan to come together to work through scenarios, engaging in visioning, and sharing strategies for moving forward as the DEI backlash continues at local and national scales.

Learn more and register today.

Communities of Practice

EPIP’s Communities of Practice give emerging professionals a space to grow, learn, and connect with their peers. Available Communities of Practice are:

• The People of Color Network: The People of Color Network (PCN) is a professional development and peer support network for EPIP members who identify as people of color. The PCN is designed to address the intersections of challenges and opportunities that are unique to emerging people of color in the sector. The spaces we provide, whether in person or virtual, are places where we hope you can show up in your wholeness to connect, vent, share strategies with peers, and learn key skills. 
• The Emerging Women of Color Community of Practice: The Emerging Women of Color (EWOC) community of practice was launched in 2022, focused on leadership development and network weaving for early- and mid-career women of color in philanthropy. Created in response to member requests, this community provides leadership development through the lens of race and gender. It also works to connect early-career women of color with a network of peers so that it takes less effort to ‘find your people’ in the field.
• White Affinity Community of Practice: EPIP launched this space in 2021 to provide a rigorous and supportive environment for members who identify as white to deepen their knowledge of antiracism and develop skills and strategies to advance racial equity and inclusive leadership practices in philanthropy, unpack and process the harmful effects of white privilege and white supremacy culture including how both show up within individuals and institutions, and discuss shared challenges and experiences. The latest cohort concluded this summer. Stay tuned for the next cohort announcement!

Contact [email protected] with any questions or to express interest in getting involved as a facilitator for future sessions.

Chapter News & Events 

Emerging Leaders Mixer with Grantmakers in the Arts and EPIP Chicago Chapter

As part of the 2024 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference, EPIP Chicago chapter members and those attending the conference are invited to a mixer designed to connect emerging leaders in philanthropy from across the nation. Co-hosted by Grantmakers in the Arts and EPIP Chicago, this event provides a collaborative environment for networking and relationship-building that will help shape the future of philanthropy. Whether you’re just starting in the field or bringing fresh perspectives to your work, this space is for you.

RSVP is required to attend, register today!

EPIP LA Ballot Breakdown with LA Forward Institute

Los Angeles-area members: feeling overwhelmed by your ballot? Join EPIP Los Angeles and LA Forward Institute for a fun and interactive virtual ballot breakdown. Get the scoop on local offices and initiatives, ask questions, and gain confidence in your choices—all while connecting with others. 

Learn more and register today.

EPIP LA’s Practitioners of Color Group (PCG) - Fall into Community Mixer

Join EPIP LA for a vibrant Meet and Greet with fellow philanthrofolks of color! Cultivate connections and enjoy drinks and snacks together to celebrate the start of fall. 

Learn more and register.

Join EPIP NY for An Evening of Nature and Networking

EPIP NY invites area members to gather at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for an evening of exploring the city’s natural gems and building meaningful relationships with fellow NY philanthropy professionals. After visiting the garden, make your way to Lincoln Park for appetizers, drinks, and continued conversation. Whether you're looking to refresh your mindset, set new goals, or simply enjoy a beautiful day outside with your peers, this event is for you!

Due to limited space and the generosity of donated tickets, registration is capped at 31 participants. Please confirm you are able to attend before registering. 

Learn more and sign up!

EPIP Michigan & PEAK Mideast | Driving Equity: Opportunities and Pitfalls of AI

Join EPIP Michigan and PEAK Mideast Chapter for a deep dive into artificial intelligence (AI), which is rapidly changing the world, including grants management. AI can potentially revolutionize how we work but using it responsibly and ethically is essential. This session will explore the opportunities and pitfalls of using AI in grantmaking and include an actionable set of guiding practices that can be applied immediately.

Learn more and register today.

Sector News & Events 

Hurricane Helene: How funders can support recovery

Join the Center for Disaster Philanthropy on October 3rd for a webinar event centered on how funders can work with communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Attendees will get information about the most urgent and ongoing needs in affected communities, learn how chronic and repetitive disasters create additional needs, and gain awareness of ways they can invest funds to support community needs. 

Learn more and register to attend.

New Report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy | Bridging the Gap: Grantee Perspectives on Intermediary Funders

New research from the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) finds that grantee experiences with intermediary funders do not differ greatly from those with “originating” funders. 

While use of and support for intermediaries has grown in recent years, there has been very little insight into grantee experiences with intermediary funders until now. CEP’s new report fills a gap in the literature, revealing that grantees of intermediaries are not having notably more positive or more negative experiences than grantees of other funders.  

The report also offers insight into the grantmaking characteristics of intermediary funders and offers two case studies of intermediaries that are highly rated by their grantees. 

Read the report here.

Save the Date! Funders for LGBTQ Issues Funding Forward 2025

Funders for LGBTQ Issues is proud to announce that Funding Forward 2025 is coming to Houston, Texas from March 31 – April 3 with March 31 being a pre-session day! Funding Forward is the annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues organized by the affinity group Funders for LGBTQ Issues. 

Learn more about Funding Forward.

Introducing Season 4 of Giving Done Right

Hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette from the Center for Effective Philanthropy are excited to bring you season four of the Giving Done Right podcast, the show on everything you need to know to make an impact with your charitable giving.

This season, Phil and Grace cover a range of topics, including what donors can do about climate change, the power of direct cash transfers, the potential of AI to create a more just and equitable world, and the importance of investing in nonprofit leadership. Tune in to hear from leaders like climate scientist and author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, CEO and co-founder of Citizen University Eric Liu, and president and CEO of UpTogether Jesús Gerena. 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Access Future Good’s Scenario Planning Resources

Scenario planning is all about preparing for different possibilities. It helps philanthropy professionals anticipate shifts so that we can adapt our strategies quickly in a changing political environment. The pace of change has accelerated, and the challenges we face are more complex than ever. To keep up, the social sector must be resilient and flexible. By identifying likely scenarios, we can be ready to adapt and ensure our organizations not only survive but thrive, regardless of what’s coming at us.

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Future Good will be hosting a webinar, “Scenario Planning for a Potential Harris Presidency: What Social Sector Leaders Need to Know,” on October 9.

Resources from Future Good’s first scenario planning webinar, “Scenario Planning for Possible 2nd Trump Presidency,” are also available.

Apply for the RISE Program from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice

Applications for the Institute for Nonprofit Practice’s next RISE cohort, beginning in January 2025, are now open! RISE is designed to bring together the next generation of leaders looking to gain an understanding of how social impact organizations function, develop essential leadership skills, engage in networking, and advance their careers.

The application only takes a few minutes, learn more today!

Responding to the Fearless Fund Settlement and the Fight for Race-Explicit Grantmaking

On September 11, 2024, the Fearless Fund agreed to end a small business grant contest for Black women in a settlement deal with the American Alliance for Equal Rights. Across the country, many have been closely watching this case to see what it signifies for race-explicit grantmaking and programming, and we anticipate that this outcome may raise concerns.

Let’s not mince words: it is legally sound to fund race-explicit grants and programming in the United States. While the number of legal threats and attacks have risen in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, many of those cases have rightly been thrown out of court on technical grounds.

The direct targeting of race-explicit programming is enraging, but it’s important to remember that this outcome is narrow and shouldn’t distract us. We know racial equity opponents selected this case in a strategic manner, hoping for a favorable outcome in a legal geography that is more likely to be hostile to race-explicit efforts. We can’t let one case dismantle our vision.

In response to this, the Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative (READI), an initiative of ABFE – A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and Native Americans in Philanthropy, was organized to promote, expand, and defend race-explicit grantmaking and programming. Learn more about READI and how to get involved.

What We’re Reading, Watching & Listening To

• Sabbaticals and the Case for More Rest for Leaders of Color - Cora Daniels, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• For the Love of Radical Giving Podcast - Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA)
• Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast. So Make Culture Your Focus. - Susan K. Urahn, Stanford Social Innovation Review 
• Carcerality Extends Its Reach: Criminalization of People Who Are Unhoused - Michael Durham, Funders Together to End Homelessness, Northern California Grantmakers
• One in Five Nonprofit Workers Can’t Afford Basic Expenses - Nonprofit Quarterly
• Will the Revolution Be Funded? - The Forge

Job Board 

Looking for a new opportunity?

The positions below are just the beginning. Check our Job Board for more opportunities from around the country! 

• Program Associate - Proteus Fund, New York, NY
• Human Resources Business Partner (Benefits) - Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies - Tulsa, OK
• Grants Management Associate - Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
• Digital Platforms Manager - Wagner Foundation, Cambridge MA
• Program Associate, Education - Heising-Simons Foundation, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Development (Associate or Manager) – Communications and Events Focus - Breakthrough Greater Boston,  Cambridge, MA
• College Success Associate - Breakthrough Greater Boston,  Cambridge, MA

Want to explore the Job Board's filters and special features? Log in to your member account or join EPIP today.

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