Ever read a book about philanthropy and wonder who you can call to discuss? This March, EPIP Philly launched our new quarterly book club to bring together EPIP Philly members and others in the world of philanthropy to discuss the hottest new philanthropic reads. We started with Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva, which came out this past October and gives a provocative look at the dysfunctional colonial dynamics in philanthropy. Haven’t read the book? Check out this article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Edgar Villanueva for an overview of the key concepts, including his seven steps towards healing.

Note: EPIP Philly’s next book club event is June 27th! We’ll be discussing White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. RSVP here - we look forward to seeing you there!

Ever read a book and wonder who can I call to discuss? Look no further EPIP Philly has a book club! Everyone now has a place to talk through philanthropic related reads.

Our summer read is White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo. This text explicates the dynamics of White Fragility and how we might build our capacity in the on-going work towards racial justice. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves.

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 a short clip about Debunking the most common myths white people tell about race. While we prefer attendees to read the book prior to the discussion, all are welcome to attend and participate.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Happy Reading.

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Bread & Roses Community Fund organizes donors at all levels to support community-based groups in building movements for racial equity and economic opportunity. Bread & Roses Community Fund supports movements and their leaders through fundraising, grantmaking, capacity building, and convening.

How does white supremacy get in the way of coalition-building between communities of color? How does the perceived proximity to whiteness impact the way we view not only ourselves but people of color (POC) of other races and ethnicities? How can we get past it and create solidarity?

Join us for EPIP's first People of Color Network (PCN) regional gathering in Philadelphia in partnership with EPIP Philly. During this half-day event, participants will partake in a candid conversation about the barriers to building relationships across communities and the impact that can have on our day-to-day work. 

Facilitators from The BIPOC Project will lead a workshop entitled For Colored Folks Who Consider Our Mutual Liberation Is Enough, that will help participants explore personal challenges, build inter-group connections, and create practices and commitments for building anti-racist POC solidarity.

This gathering is open to EPIP members and non-members of color in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. If you are unsure of your membership status, email us at membership@epip.org. Please note that due to the nature of this workshop, registration is limited to 40 people. In the event we sell out, a waiting list will be created.  

Guest Speakers: 

Merle, Co-Founder, The BIPOC Project Merle is a Black, queer, cis woman with extensive management and practice experience in youth work, including a focus on challenging interpersonal and structural racism in youth programs; in building and organizing cross-sector networks focused on gender and racial justice; and in translating research in innovative and culturally competent practice in complex environments.

Fiona, Co-Founder, The BIPOC Project Fiona is an Asian, immigrant, queer, cis woman with extensive experience facilitating change and transformation at the intersection of personal development, group dynamics, organizational change, and social justice, including partnering organizations and coalitions to hone and embody a racial equity lens and practice.

About EPIP's People of Color Network

EPIP's People of Color Network responds to the distinct challenges of navigating philanthropy as a person of color and is intended to promote the retention, influence, and advancement of people of color in the philanthropic sector. Click here to learn more about PCN and to sign up for additional news and events related to EPIP's People of Color Network. 

If you would like to host a PCN regional gathering or have other questions regarding EPIP's programming, please contact Storme Gray, Director of Programs at programs@epip.org.

NTERGENERATION is a dynamic intergenerational group of funders, organizational development practitioners, and nonprofit leaders working to transform thinking and practice about leadership and leadership development. Since 2011, we have been finding, elevating and strengthening examples of collaborative leadership in the Philadelphia region, making connections between collaborative leadership and enhanced impact to communities and sharing these tools and examples with the broader community.

Seven years ago I was I was desperate to find a job that would be the right place to learn what I was good at and truly develop my skills in those areas.  I had a Master’s degree, several years of experience in fine arts and fundraising, in addition to more experience than I had ever hoped for as a waitress, bartender, barista, sales associate, telemarketer and circus jester.  At the end of my search, I landed a job at a foundation.

By Sharon Rice, Director of Community Relations, Generocity, and Steering Committee Member, EPIP-Philadelphia

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”   –Lao Tzu

My first job out of graduate school was as a therapist for children in foster care.  One day, I had a conversation with a client that changed my life forever. 

Earlier this year I wrote about how intentionally collaborating across generational and hierarchical boundaries is not just a nice, collegial thing to do: it is a necessity. The fact is that there are dozens of generationally-specific leadership development networks (mostly geared at Millennials) but very few networks that provide serious cross-generational dialogue and problem -solving around the full pipeline of nonprofit talent and intergenerational leadership issues. 

This post was authored by Alison Hastings.  Alison is an urban planner, a food system thinker and a people person.  She's also an EPIP member in Philadelphia.

There’s no denying that we’re in the midst of the holiday season and earnest end-of-year donor appeals from many nonprofit organizations.  Of all of the holidays, Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. 

By Iris Leon, member, EPIP Philly Steering Committee

We’ve all had that moment. The moment when our age smacks us in the face. I work on a college campus and I regularly have the opportunity to get a window into the minds of undergraduates. I’ve become increasingly aware of one thing: they’re young.

Intentionally collaborating across boundaries is not just a nice, collegial thing to do: it is a necessity. Intergenerational cross-boundary collaboration in particular has been gaining attention nationally and locally.   Developing and connecting the next generations of nonprofit leaders while supporting senior leaders as they mentor, celebrate their legacies and discover their next steps are all essential.