Calendar of Events

7.14.2011

Report Back from Hayes Valley Farm Sustainability Event on June 29th

Earlier this month, after days of rain, the sun broke through the clouds just in time to shine down on our chapter's volunteer outing at the Hayes Valley Farm. Once a freeway on-ramp, Hayes Valley Farm is currently a 2.2 acre non-profit urban permaculture demonstration site. With a small startup grant from the City and fiscal sponsorship from the San Francisco Parks Trust, the farm first opened their gates on Jaunary 24, 2010- and the farm is still going strong. 

We were amazed to learn that the farm is entirely, and successfully, volunteer run. Plant beds have been laid out strategically to make the most of the natural water flow after rain, most of the materials are either donated or sourced from waste streams, there's a colorful pastel patch of beehives, and any food grown is either gifted to volunteers or left outside the farm for community members to help themselves from. It was astonishing to learn how little money the farm needs to reach their goals, which they're clearly doing: raising awareness around sustainability and urban agriculture, offering educational opportunities, reviving a vacant lot, providing green job training, beautifying the neighborhood, and having fun. After our tour, we got down and dirty as we helped plant mini-flats of seedlings.

After the farm closed up for the day, we headed down the street to join other local EPIP-ers at Pause Wine Bar, a sustainably sourced new wine bar on Market.  Kevin Schuder,the head chef, came out to share some details about the food and history of Pause while we sipped our wine. The bartender was so knowledgeable about the wine that a few of us just let him choose our drinks- and we were glad we did. It was such a treat to be able to mingle with folks while tasting such amazing wine! The entire day was a blast and several chapter members mentioned wishing they could have been able to volunteer. Stay tuned-- there may be more events like this in the future!

7.13.2011

Upcoming Event: Career Exploration Workshop

The Real Job Search  
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
4:00 – 6:00 pm

Refreshments provided. Happy hour to follow, location TBD.

James Irvine Foundation
575 Market Street, Suite 3400
San Francisco, CA 94105


Trying to decipher your career path? Following all the rules but still not getting the position you want? Thinking of making a move to a different sector in order to further your career?
Join us for a two part career exploration workshop!
4-5 pm: In the first part of our workshop, our guest speaker Dalya Massachi will discuss the DO's and DON'T's of pulling together the key pieces of your job search tools (resume and cover letter) to establish your position as a candidate worth interviewing. And you will leave with a handy tip sheet!
5-6 pm: In the second part of our workshop, EPIP exemplars Angie Chen, Adam Badwound and Phuong Quach will answer the question, "How did you get that job?!" Each panelist will share their experiences and advice about how they made a career leap and took their careers to the next level, either by obtaining a higher title, changing sectors or seeking a new organization.

About our speaker:
Dalya Massachi specializes in helping nonprofit professionals advance their missions through outstanding fundraising and marketing materials – online and offline.  A lifelong writer, Dalya’s first letter to the editor was published in her hometown newspaper before she was even a teenager.

For nearly 20 years, Dalya has worked professionally with community-oriented organizations as a trainer, writing coach, grantwriter, journalist, and organizer. She has crafted countless successful marketing pieces, grant proposals, and news articles, and currently pens "The Writer's Block" column on OpportunityKnocks.org (the national job website and career development destination focused exclusively on the nonprofit community). From 2000-2004, Dalya served as Founding Director of BAIDO: Bay Area International Development Organizations. She holds an M.A. in Communication & International Development and a B.A. in International Studies. 
Dalya’s award-winning book, entitled "Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact,” will be available at a special discount at the event (she’ll also sign your copy)! Her website and free e-newsletter are at: http://www.dfmassachi.net.

About our panelists:
Angie Chen, Program Officer, S. D. Bechtel, Jr Foundation
Adam Badwound, Major Gifts Associate, California Academy of Sciences 
Phuong Quach, Public Information Coordinator at Blue Shield of California Foundation 
*All panelists currently serve or have served on the EPIP steering committee.  

Please RSVP to bayarea@epip.org.

6.24.2011

Upcoming Event: Hayes Valley Farm and Sustainable Agriculture

Hayes Valley Farm, Tour and Volunteering Opportunity
450 Laguna Street, at Fell
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
3:30 – 5pm

Followed by…
Sustainable Wine Tasting at Pause Wine Bar
1666 Market Street, in Hayes Valley
5pm – 7:30pm

Come get your hands dirty and learn how a local urban farm intersects with Philanthropy! We hope you can join us to volunteer, taste bio-dynamic and organic wines, or both!
Hayes Valley Farm first broke ground in 2010. Once a freeway on ramp,  Hayes Valley Farm is now a 2.2 acre non-profit Urban Permaculture demonstration site in the heart of San Francisco.  Run by the community and grown through the work of volunteers, Hayes Valley Farm has been working to educate people of all ages on the practical steps which can be taken to grow food and become more responsible in environmental stewardship, as well partnering to develop successful models for a variety of community permaculture projects. To learn more about Hayes Valley Farm, you can go to http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com.
We’ll start by taking a brief tour of Hayes Valley Farm and learning about Hayes Valley Farm’s funding sources, history and future plans. We’ll then spend about an hour volunteering and helping out around the farm. Afterwards, we’ll retire to Pause Wine Bar, where you can taste and learn about sustainably grown wines, mingle with other Foundation professionals and learn about upcoming EPIP programs. The first round of drinks is on us!
"Amid the urban jungle that is San Francisco sits an oasis of green. Under eucalyptus trees and where old highway on and off ramps once stood, community organizers are building on a vision, an urban garden they call the Hayes Valley Farm."   — CBS 5 News

Please RSVP to bayarea@epip.org and specify whether you’ll be attending the Volunteer event, the happy hour, or both.


Job Opportunity: Kaiser Family Foundation

Kaiser Family Foundation is currently hiring for two positions:

Job Opportunity: Packard Foundation

Packard Foundation is currently hiring:

5.10.2011

Job Opportunity: Firelight Foundation

Firelight Foundation is currently hiring:
Development Officer

Upcoming Event: Philanthropy Consulting

Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 4:00 – 5:30 pm
James Irvine Foundation Conference Center at the East Bay Community Foundation
353 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612

(Refreshments provided)

Join Lucy Bernholz, Eugene Eric Kim, and Don Lauro in an engaging dialogue about their careers as consultants, work-life balance, and trends and projections for consultants working in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors.

About our speakers:

  • Lucy Bernholz is the founder of Blueprint Research + Design, which is now part of Arabella Advisors, where she will serve as their Managing Director and serve as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.
  • Eugene Eric Kim is cofounder and principal of Blue Oxen Associates, who develop collaborative strategies, focusing especially on inter-organizational collaboration and collaborative learning.
  • Don Lauro has since 2008 been transitioning from a career in philanthropy and international health programs to a more balanced life as part-time consultant and full(er) time human being.
Please RSVP to bayarea@epip.org if you will be attending.

Job Opportunity: Moore Foundation

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is currently hiring:

4.14.2011

2011 EPIP National Conference

We want to hear from you! 

What a week it has been! Many of us attended the 10th Anniversary EPIP National Conference in Philadelphia to represent Bay Area philanthropy and if you haven't heard, it was a very engaging, thought-provoking and inspiring week of events, workshops, speakers and connections.

We want to hear how it had an impact on you, your organization, your chapter or your career path.  What are some key highlights, takeaways, favorite moments or lessons learned that you would like to share with the rest of the Bay Area Chapter and philanthropy community? Please add your comments to this post. 

Here are highlights from EPIP Bay Area Chapter steering committee members:


The EPIP conference was absolutely transformative. The speakers were inspiring and impressive and the four program tracks; Understanding Philanthropy, Social Impact, Managing Power Dynamics and Generations in Philanthropy, were delivered with deep reflection and compassion for the hard work that is being undertaken by those in the sector. Conference participants were encouraged to share their thoughts on an array of topics from systems change to movement building, and were encouraged to think deeply about our own true purpose as well as the broader philanthropic mission and purpose. The conference also stressed the importance of multisector partnerships to ensure that the philanthropic community is utilizing all of the resources available to promote meaningful change. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be able to participate and I look forward to combating and confronting some of the challenges that lie ahead. 
~ Tiauna George, The James Irvine Foundation


The EPIP National Conference was fantastic. The energy in the sessions was palpable, and it was a unique experience to connect with young leaders around the country who are committed to solving today’s social problems. I was particularly excited to connect with Foundation CEOs on the topics of leadership and vision for the field through plenaries and small leadership salons. I hope the Bay Area chapter can capture the same enthusiasm and energy in our work this year! 
~ Lauren Tulp, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Additional reading: Here is great blog post by Christine Reeves of National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and her Top 10 Lessons from Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.

Thank you in advanced for your comments!

3.15.2011

Upcoming Event: Social Enterprise- What Is It & What Does It Mean for Non-Profits?

Have you been hearing a lot about “social enterprise” lately, but are not really sure what it means? Do you want to find out how it relates to your work and how you can use it increase your positive impact? Social enterprise is a rapidly growing movement, combining business strategies with a purpose for social & environmental good. Get the inside scoop about the relationship between social enterprise, business, government and nonprofit sectors. Gain insights into ways the social enterprise model can impact your current organization, as well as its future direction. Speakers will share an insider’s perspective on this new area and provide advice on how you can tap into this growing field.

Date: Tues, March 22, 2011
Time: 6:15 - 8:15 PM
(Networking begins at 6:00; Program begins at 6:15)
Where: SF Friend Meetinghouse, 65 Ninth Street, San Francisco
Between Market and Mission Streets, 1.5 blocks from the BART/MUNI Civic Center Station.  
Fees:  YNPNsfba Members: $7;  EPIP Members: $7; Non-Members: $10

FEATURED SPEAKERS will include:
Registration is limited; Register here.
Business casual attire and business cards are encouraged!