This guest post was authored by Rahsaan Harris, the President & CEO of The Emma Bowen Foundation For Minority Interests in Media.

Dr. Harris most recently served as EPIP’s second Executive Director from 2012-2014.   

Don’t give up I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… 

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We recently had the opportunity to interview Emily Kessler, the interim director of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.  In this interview, Emily shares how she got her start in philanthropy and what she is hoping to do to help emerging professionals and increase the value of an EPIP membership. 

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On behalf of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, the national board would like to take a moment to announce the departure of our Executive Director, Rahsaan Harris. After over two years of dedicated service to the network, Rahsaan will be stepping into a new role serving as President at The Emma Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media. The national team as well as the local chapters express our deep gratitude to Rahsaan for his leadership of EPIP, and we wish Rahsaan and his family the best as he takes this new and exciting step into his future work in philanthropy and social justice. Rahsaan’s energy and enthusiasm for EPIP will be sorely missed but he leaves behind a legacy of change that will certainly carry us into the next year and beyond. He was instrumental in leading the staff in creating many innovative leadership initiatives including the most recent release of the Measuring a Leader series, also known as MC MaL. Rahsaan also established a well-rounded funding portfolio and network of professionals that have added their skills and leadership to helping craft and properly define EPIP’s values as a network. Additionally under his leadership, Regional Coordinators were established, which has increased the level of communication from the national office to the many regional and local chapters. Lastly, however not least, Rahsaan’s leadership of a several month-long planning process that included a national retreat of JAG leaders, helped successfully hold the Unity Summit. This key event brought together all the JAG partners […] 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! 

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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

“This is now. Now is, all there is. Don’t wait for then; strike the spark, light the fire.” ~Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī As I noted in a blog post in late 2013, I am currently immersed in a year-long master’s program, a Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS). Its progressive approach to leadership and sustainability make it one of the only master’s degrees of its kind in the world. I was attracted to MSLS because of the focus on authentic leadership—leadership that believes innately in goodness, leadership that values individual contributions towards collective impact. MSLS is currently developing their thinking around social sustainability as well, which further enhanced the leadership framework. This leadership approach is one of shared responsibility and co-creation, one of deep trust. It promotes the cultivation of environments that encourage risk-taking and value courage and organizational shared vision. This approach acknowledges that all of these factors contribute to an individual’s commitment to an organization and values the individual contributions that each person brings to an organization, and works to support that individual’s success, both personally and professionally. We recently had a reflection session on our first semester, where we explored the capacities, skills, and ways of thinking that a sustainability leader needs to develop and employ, all things that we had been exploring for the previous five months through group work, inspiring workshops, theoretical lectures, and personal exploration. My mind immediately went to EPIP’s Measure of a Leader. The two frameworks are markedly different, yet they […] Read more

Sophia Guevara is an EPIP member in Michigan, a long time contributor to RE: Philanthropy, and the former chair of the Consortium of Foundation Libraries affinity group.  Here she shares four tips to help engender creative thought. Some of the best value that an early career professional can provide to an organization is their creativity and courage to try new things.  For those interested in improving their creativity, here are a few ideas to consider: 1. Regrets have no space in the mind of a creative Regret causes fear, and limits your ability to see opportunities.  With this mindset, you’re limited in identifying the connections that can be the key to an innovative solution.  Instead of working with regret, work with a mindset that focuses on lessons learned from each opportunity, whether a success or failure.  Also, be intentional about putting into practice the lessons you have learned.  Read more

Hispanic Heritage Month just ended on October 15, and we would be remiss not to acknowledge it and EPIP's Latino roots. Many don't realize that people of color were at the center of EPIP's formation.

Most know the story of how Rusty Stahl founded EPIP with a group of like-minded people back in 2001. However, EPIP's staff recently discovered that one of Rusty's compadres was a Latino Program Associate from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Alejandro Amezcua.

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This post was authored by Nichole Martini, who is the Co-Chair of EPIP-NY’s Steering Committee.

In the early fall of 2012, EPIP-NY went through its usual onboarding process of new Steering Committee members. I was elected co-chair of the chapter to help guide and direct our activities and work with EPIP National. This was my first time serving in a co-leadership model and I wasn’t sure how it would work. 

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Sophia Guevara is an EPIP member in Michigan, a long time contributor to RE: Philanthropy and the the former chair of the Consortium of Foundation Libraries affinity group.  She responded to the EPIP summer challenge with a few key leadership lessons that she’s picked up along the way. In every field, there are a few professionals who choose to stand out from the rest.  These leaders are usually passionate about their work, but passion alone often isn’t enough. For the early career professional looking to start their own path towards leadership, what are a few lessons to keep in mind?  In my own case, I believe that some of the most valuable lessons I learned about leadership were gained during my experience as a negotiator.  From getting comfortable with rejection to being creative with options at one’s disposal, the experience taught me lessons that I believe have helped me on my own path.  Here are four of those lessons: Read more