Yesterday marked the 59th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white passenger.  Rosa Parks sitting on that bus looking out the window is one of the iconic images from the Civil Rights Movement...

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Southern philanthropy is rooted in a rich history and strong traditions. Without a doubt, one of the best traditions is that of building connections — not just between foundations and grantees, or foundations and communities, but between generations of leaders. As practitioners, we know that connections matter. And more specifically, connections matter when it comes to creating leaders. Leaders are made when those with passion are mentored by those who’ve been there – whether it’s knowledge shared from one generation to the next or a conversation between peers. These kinds of connections reinforce timeless truths, but they also spark new ideas between leaders and pave the way for their adoption among other leaders. In fact, if you think a network of followers is a powerful thing, just consider what a network of leaders can do. We think about that every day. While many organizations devote resources to making connections, or to creating leaders, both the Southeastern Council of Foundations and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy have focused on making connections specifically to help existing and emerging leaders flourish. At SECF, leaders connect by participating in the Hull Fellows Program for rising leaders, or as mentors for Hull Fellows, or in the Advanced Leadership Institute for mid-career leaders, or even through the intimate network of a CEO Forum. EPIP members connect with fellow rising leaders by launching and growing vibrant EPIP chapters throughout the country, by participating in professional development programs, and – perhaps most importantly – by practicing servant leadership as […] Read more

This December, EPIP is highlighting the Measuring a Leader skills of Leadership and Management. Social change leaders: Direct individuals or groups to accomplish desired results; Delegate appropriately, allocating resources as needed; Emulate exemplary individual behavior and ethics; and Coach others when appropriate.

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  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

This month’s Voices from the Field interview is with Peter Panepento. Peter Panepento is a digital and social media strategist who helps nonprofits and foundations build powerful networks. He is the former Senior Vice President of Knowledge and Community at the Council on Foundations, where he was responsible for leading the launch of the new Philanthropy Exchange online network.  Could you provide a brief professional description of who you are and what you do? I am a digital and social media strategist who helps foundations and nonprofits build powerful networks.

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by Caitlin Fisher, co-chair of EPIP Boston I’ve spent the past few years learning about network theory and communities of practice in my role as deputy director of the Prime Movers fellowshipprogram at Hunt Alternatives. For those unfamiliar with this concept, a community of practice by definition it is a group of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise — and it promises to radically galvanize knowledge sharing, learning, and change...

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We want to see you in Washington DC June 6 – 8 because we are one community. Being My Brother’s Keeper is an expression of agape love. The Greek word agape, to treat with affectionate regard, refers to self-giving and selflessness. This love helps you empathize with others, allows you to see their humanity, and inspires you to fight for their well being. It helps you realize… I am, because you are (Ubuntu). That is the spirit of UNITY. The JAG partners are gathering because we recognize each other’s struggles and we work to ensure each other’s success. I am an heterosexual African American male and I recognize what challenges and privileges that brings. To make a just and equitable world, I must be willing to fight for the future of my gay Latina sisters, my trans Asian American brothers, and all others. That’s why we can’t rest until the Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram are home safely (#BringBackOurGirls). We should push for comprehensive immigration reform (#CIR) and for the right of all to marry who they love (#marriageequality). We should cheer efforts to bolster Black male achievement (#mbk). That’s why our gathering in Washington DC is important. You don’t want to miss it. #EPIPleaders Rahsaan Harris, PhD   Read more

In an effort to help EPIP members gain value from the experience of professionals in the field, EPIP has started a new interview series. Blog readers will be able to learn valuable lessons from leaders in the field. The fourth interview in this series is with Mari Kuraishi, Co-Founder and President of the Global Giving Foundation.

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The folks at NTEN are offering EPIP members free access to a couple of their recent webinars: Leaders Leveraging Wireless: 10 Ways to Lead by Leaving Your Desk and How to Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly. During Leaders Leveraging Wireless, Mobile Citizen’s Michelle Warner and Kecia Carroll demonstrated how nonprofits can use wireless technology or Internet access to enable programs, stay connected to key stakeholders, or to work more efficiently–from anywhere. In How to Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly, MSDS’s Niki Hammond and Ross Berenson give the lowdown on the pros and cons of mobile apps vs. mobile websites vs. responsive design, and walk you through the process of ensuring that your website is mobile-device friendly. We invite you to use codes “WEB-LLW” and “WEB-MWMF” to access these recordings free of charge. Let NTEN know what you learn. Share your comments below. Read more

Download the application today!   EPIP is seeking leaders of leaders to serve on our national advisory board! Do you have what it takes to guide and grow EPIP to our next stage of development? Are you passionate about social justice issues? Do you have strong and innovative ideas on leadership and talent development in the sector? Are you committed to making significant change in our world? Then, we invite you to download and submit the application to join the EPIP Advisory Board. The deadline is Wednesday, June 18, 2014 by 5PM EDT. Please email the application with resumé to Emily Kessler at [email protected]. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Emily, or contact one of the members of the board development committee: Dana Linnane ([email protected]) or Christine Reeves ([email protected]). We are seeking multiple board member positions. Please help us find our next advisory board members by circulating this announcement to your network as well. Many thanks, The EPIP National Board of Advisors & Staff Read more