The EPIP Los Angeles mentorship program recently kicked off its pilot year. Since being selected to participate in the cohort, we’ve each identified, reached out to, and had initial conversations with our mentors.   One of the first steps in mentorship is realizing how you can benefit from the process. Prior to our involvement, each of us asked ourselves the question of whether or not we needed a mentor. Mentorship is a unique opportunity to deepen relationships, learn more about the sector, and define career goals. If you’re trying to determine whether or not mentorship is right for you, here are four questions to ask yourself before beginning. 1. Have I articulated what my career goals are? If you’re still trying to determine what you want most out of your career, a mentor can help guide you. It’s often beneficial for someone to talk you through developing goals that are aligned with your skills and interests. 2. Am I currently in a position to fulfill my career goals? Once you’ve determined your short- and long-term goals, you need to ask yourself if your current role is helping you achieve them. Where are your shortcomings? Do you need more training in certain areas, or could you benefit from a masters or certificate program? A mentor can help identify where you might want to focus your energy moving forward. 3. Have I opened myself up to new experiences? Working with a mentor can help expose you to new experiences, like following along […] Read more

April 23, 2014

EPIP Webinar: Serve on a Board, Save the World AND Advance Your Career 

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 third interview in this series is with Carol Larson, President and CEO of the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. 

Read more

By: Matthew Ubrig, EPIP Chicago Chapter Co-Leader

It was not very long after I was hired at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors that I was able to experience Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy for the first time. With barely six months of philanthropy and nonprofit experience under my belt, I was encouraged by my new colleagues to attend the 2012 EPIP Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA as a way to get acclimated to the philanthropic space and get a handle on just exactly what we were doing and what we were all about. I—being quite wet behind the ears—said “yes!” without even really knowing what I was agreeing to. Conference for emerging philanthropists? Sure, sounds good. Los Angeles? Uh, yeah no need to tell me twice! 

Read more

By Nadia Owusu, Senior Associate for Knowledge and Organizational Development, Living Cities

“I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids-and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”- Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

Last summer, I read with interest a slew of articles critiquing the philanthropic sector and calling for large-scale change.

 

Read more

In an effort to help EPIP members gain value from the experience of professionals in the field, EPIP is starting a new interview series. Blog readers will be able to learn valuable lessons from leaders in the field.

The first interview in this series is with Laura Tomasko. Laura, a D.C. EPIP member, is a network developer at the Council on Foundations. As a network developer, she spends her time exploring the landscape of social good finance. This includes helping COF members learn about current trends and opportunities within the field...

Read more

In partnership with NTEN, EPIP members may take advantage of member rates on this NTEN webinar. Discount codes for all partner offers can be found on Member Connect under Member Resources. If you or anyone in your organization has a laptop, we want to encourage you to leave your desk! Go on. Get out. Increase efficiency. Decrease costs. Get things done. Thanks to wireless technology, your staff can do more, communicate more, and be more efficient simply by leaving their desks. This webinar will explore the many facets of your organization including communication, fundraising, programs, community outreach, and staffing/volunteerism, and will challenge your thinking on ways to leverage wireless technology in each area. Learn More DATE Tuesday, Apr 22, 2014 11:00am US/Pacific 2:00pm US/Eastern Read more

March 12, 2014

EPIP Webinar: A Chat with EPIP’s Newest Executive Coach, Pratichi Shah 

Read more

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.

Read more

I sit on the plane flying north from Oaxaca, Mexico, the place I called home for 5 years. The place where I began my career, became an adult, built something from the ground up, and began my own journey of finding truth. I peer out the window to the west, with views of the vast Oaxacan valley, of Monte Albán, the ruins from where the Zapotec people protected this valley for hundreds of years, and am reminded, once again, of the wisdom that exists in this place, the warmth, the invitation, the ancient history of a people so proud. I have been on a journey since leaving Oaxaca in 2006, one filled with peaks and valleys, one that can be best described as a journey of finding my heart. We started an organization 11 years ago, an organization that continues to grow and prosper, that continues to inspire and to challenge all of us involved. We are working in a deeply entrenched system trying to do our part in addressing the myriad challenges of poverty, oppression, individualism, greed. We are interested in choice and opportunity, in dignity. Read more