Sophia Guevara is a Social Media Fellow with EPIP.  In this essay, she provides readers with some of the lessons she has learned about being creative with what you have to make change. Seeing a man curled up asleep by the lights of a pharmacy one night while in Washington, D.C., I reached into my pocket and knew that the change I had wasn’t enough to make a difference.  Walking away, I felt ashamed I couldn’t help him but was inspired to start thinking what I could do on a larger scale to help those like him.  I didn’t have grant money to give but I did hold leadership positions within a council and several associations.  By being creative with what I had, I came up with the idea to partner with others to host service projects at annual conferences.   Here are four lessons I learned from those experiences: Lesson learned: Prepare your case, but be patient and flexible. Not every proposal I prepared was accepted readily by potential partners at first glance. I found it important to be patient with those who expressed doubt and flexible enough to negotiate changes when necessary.  I had to be humble enough to realize that the criticism received in the early stages often offered valuable insight.  Instead of being stopped in my tracks by it, I decided to use the input to mold the plan into something that would gain additional support in later stages. Lesson learned: Professional conferences are a great opportunity to reach many professionals. As […] Read more

Leadership Lessons from Madiba, Newtown & Beyond: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

Last weekend’s events were significant to many of us, myself included. The anti-apartheid and human rights leader, Nelson Mandela – known affectionately as Madiba – was laid to rest by the nation of South Africa. Closer to home, the small Connecticut town of Newtown grieved quietly and privately as our nation recognized the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.Globally, we’ve made progress toward improving the lives of the oppressed. I was fortunate to witness some of these gains firsthand during my travels to South Africa on the 10th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s election victory in 2004 and at soccer’s World Cup in 2010. The sense of accomplishment and unity across races was undeniable at both events. 

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Dear EPIP Friends, At this time of year, we all feel an overwhelming urge to show appreciation and give thanks to those in our families and communities who have given of themselves to make our lives a bit easier, a bit better, a bit nicer. We at EPIP give thanks to YOU for engaging with EPIP, taking ownership of your personal development, and making a difference in your communities. EPIP is a talent pipeline for social change efforts, but we’re only as successful as our members. And we are grateful for your efforts and successes in making the world a better place. If you haven’t already, we want you to make a commitment to #DoGood this holiday season. Read more

With support from Blue Shield of California Foundation, EPIP is pleased to announce the launch of Doing Good in the 21st Century, a joint exploration with La Piana Consulting that began at the 2013 EPIP National Conference in Chicago earlier this year. Many of you participated in the workshop on video recordings, and your thoughts have all been captured. Together, we asked the question: “How must the social sector adapt to succeed in meeting 21st Century challenges and opportunities?” And, together, we have generated the answers. Join the conversation on Twitter! #DoGood Read more

Please join Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP), La Piana Consulting and fellow Independent Sector conference participants for a Connections conversation and video premiere: Doing Good in the 21st Century. EPIP and La Piana launched an exciting new initiative at the 2013 EPIP National Conference, which looks more closely at emerging trends among individuals, organizations, and networks that are proving their ability to succeed in the new reality. These conversations were captured on video, which will be premiered at our Connections event. Read more

Doing Good in the 21st Century On April 4-6, more than 250 early-career social sector professionals gathered in Chicago, IL to explore new paradigms of leadership at the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) National Conference. La Piana Consulting was there to launch a joint project with EPIP aimed at examining what “doing good” means in the 21st Century and how the sector can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Read more