2012 EPIP Conference Reflection - Engaging Foundation Stakeholders

Lauren Tulp, our most recent Co-Chair of EPIP Bay Area and Impact Planning and Analysis Associate at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, shares one of her highlighted experiences from this year's EPIP National Conference:

At this year’s EPIP National Conference I had the opportunity to present a workshop called “Do Nothing About Me Without Me: Engaging Stakeholders for Better Results” with two fantastic staff members of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Andy Freeze and Jason Twiss.

During the session, Andy reviewed the results of the GEO 2011 Field Study. The results show that more funders are asking for feedback from stakeholders, but funders aren’t doing more to seek input when it’s particularly impactful—when they make decisions. Potential foundation stakeholders might include grantees, community members and external experts.

Strategies we at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have used to engage stakeholders include:

• Participating in grantee and staff surveys with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (we recognize staff are key internal stakeholders!)
• Creating a 10-Year Review with interviews of staff, board members, grantees and experts to inform future decision-making
• Convening advisory boards of experts and grantees to provide feedback on program strategies
• Sharing decision-making and funding responsibilities through collaborations such as the Climate and Land Use Alliance and Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Moore Foundation Plant Biology Investigators
• Using crowdsourcing techniques to poll the scientific community about opportunities to make transformative change through a request for ideas (RFI)

These are great steps, although I think we still have room to do more. Which leads me to another topic we addressed in the workshop—how it can be especially difficult to encourage stakeholder engagement when you’re a junior staff member. During the session, we discussed some of the challenges to convincing others in your organization of the importance of stakeholder engagement and strategies you can use to make change, including asking key questions and helping design effective engagement processes.

Thank you to everyone who attended the session for your great ideas and participation! I was impressed with everyone’s thoughtfulness on this issue and commitment to making philanthropy more responsive and accountable.

2012 EPIP Conference Reflection - Learning Tour: Ports of LA

One of our Steering Committee members, Ginger Hintz, attended the Learning Tour of LA Ports at this year's EPIP National Conference. She shares her reflections here:


Philanthropy is about relationships. I think good philanthropy supports and builds long-term connections. These axioms were reinforced on a learning tour to the San Pedro Bay ports (the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach). Patricia Castellanos, Deputy Director and Director of Ports Project at LAANE, and Angelo Logan, Co-Executive Director of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, were our guides into a system that most people never see but are affected by every day. It is estimated that over 40% of all international trade comes in and out of the San Pedro Bay Ports. The scale of consumerism and scope of logistics surrounding such a mammoth enterprise was overwhelming as we stood at the top of Knoll Hill and surveyed the industrial landscape.

As we drove to Knob Hill, we took a count of how many trucks we saw on the opposite side of the highway. In the span of only 15 minutes, over 300 trucks passed us. And it was a slow day! As the trucks whizzed by and we drove past the refineries, past residential neighborhoods and tight-knit communities, Angelo and Patricia gave us an overview of the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports. Angelo told us about the impacts of truck traffic and the pollution of the Ports on the communities they drive through, and more importantly in the communities the truck drivers live in. Because of train, truck, shipping, refinery, and other Port activities, the communities that the drivers live in have high rates of asthma and cancer. Patricia told us about how de-regulation classifies the truck drivers as "independent contractors" which keeps wages low and benefits non-existent. The drivers must pay for their own trucks, the maintenance, and other costs that are usually absorbed by the trucking companies. According to one driver we met, he receives $40/load and can transport two loads a day. It is a system that grossly privileges the trucking companies and feeds consumers expectations of cheap goods.

Organizing and empowering truck drivers is a visible intersection of worker and environmental justice. These workers and their communities sustain the economic engine of our goods movement system yet they struggle to support their families. It's an old song that grantees seek long-term funding to sustain the complex social change work we all want to see in the world. Having an opportunity to witness the connections and hear the stories of the organizers, the truck drivers, and the grantees supported this outcome. As we ensure that the voices of communities most impacted by issues of social justice are included in our vision of change, we weave new perspectives into that narrative and that takes sustained commitment to a larger vision.

One of the main reasons I support and participate in the EPIP community is because we value that larger picture. EPIP provides the space to talk and learn about these critical social justice issues. I urge you to think about how you can bring your commitment to supporting strategic and sustainable coalition building like the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports to your own work. We will all benefit from such connections.

Post Event Highlights and Announcing Nicole Puller as New EPIP Bay Area Co-Chair!

A few weeks ago, at our EPIP National Conference Reflection and Social event on May 22 at Cantina, a few members shared their main takeaways from their experience and participation at the EPIP National Conference. One member spoke about the Learning Tour she attended at the Port of Los Angeles, where they discussed the pollution created by the thousands of trucks transporting goods from the Port every day, the labor injustices experienced by the truck drivers, and the grassroots policy efforts happening in the community surrounding the Port to better their neighborhoods. Other members shared thoughts about the "real, honest, and approachable" attitudes of the presenters/panelists, the easy and exciting ways to meet and connect with new peers and continue those connections after the conference, and judgments about celebrity philanthropists were changed for the better.

We were fortunate to have many Bay Area members at the conference and will be posting more stories and highlights from the conference on this blog, so be sure to check back over the following weeks. (Or, sign-up to receive our blog posts via email by entering your email in the appropriate box located on the right-hand column.)

The event at Cantina was also a farewell and celebration for Lauren Tulp who was our Bay Area Co-Chair for the past year. She has provided great leadership and commitment to this chapter and we will miss her very much. We wish her all the best on her next adventure!

Lastly, we are happy to announce that Nicole Puller of Tides is our new EPIP Bay Area Co-Chair and will join fellow Co-Chair, Thuy Kumar and the Steering Committee to continue building a stronger philanthropic community. Please help us welcome Nicole to the executive team!

2012 EPIP Conference Reflection - Graduate School

The EPIP National Conference was a few weeks ago, but we're still talking about it! We asked those of you who attended to send us your highlights, stories, learnings, and "aha" moments so we could share them with everyone. We'll be posting these throughout the next following weeks.

The first response we received was from Susanne Revutsky, who participated in the conference as a career coach and facilitated one of the sessions on Graduate School. She posted her thoughts and research about "Making the Case for Graduate School" on her website, Butterfly Careers.

Please add your comments if you attended this session or want to share your highlights and experiences on this topic. We'd love to hear from you!

Upcoming Event: Understanding Your Personal Brand

The Bay Area Chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy
proudly presents

Understanding Your Personal Brand
a career coaching opportunity and workshop of the EPIP Effective Leadership Career Program (EPIP’s newest program, launching now!)

Tuesday, March 20
San Francisco Foundation
225 Bush Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104

Coaching Sessions:
50 minute coaching sessions with Russ Finkelstein, EPIP ELCP Career Coach, who’s in town from Portland to offer one-on-one, face-to-face coaching sessions. Sessions available from 12-4pm.

REGISTER HERE Coaching fees are detailed on the website.

Branding Workshop:
A workshop to learn how to market what you already do well on the job and in your field. You will also explore how to align your actions with your long-term goals and learn how to cultivate your authentic, strengths-based reputation - your “brand.” The workshop will help you gain tools for creating and implementing a personal strategy that you can leverage to succeed at work and to achieve your personal aspirations. The branding workshop will take place from 4:30-6:00pm

Registration & Fees:
EPIP Member: $10
Non-EPIP Member: $20
EPIP Membership (includes event registration): $150

REGISTER HERE

Upcoming Event: Data-driven & Doable

"Data-driven & Doable - Frank Talk about Managing to Outcomes"

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 

6:00-6:30pm Networking and Refreshments 

6:30-8:30pm Program 

Location: 144 Second St, San Francisco

This event is FREE! Register via Eventbrite.
 There are limited spots available.

Data-driven & Doable is made possible by the Presenting Sponsor, Rosov Consulting, in partnership with StartingBloc Bay Area, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network San Francisco Bay Area (YNPNsfba) and EPIP Bay Area. The event is generously hosted by Rally at the RallyPad.

About the workshop:

Data-driven & Doable is a one-of-a-kind event bringing together young professionals and senior management from Bay Area nonprofits and foundations for a candid look at the managing-to-outcomes movement and its implications for emerging leaders.

Managing-to-outcomes is about defining success, collecting data and using it to increase organizational effectiveness. In short, it's about how you know that you're making a difference. 

The evening will combine elements of an interactive workshop and a film screening  featuring special guest host, Kate Robinson, director of the upcoming PBS documentary, Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results.  

Who should attend?

General registration for this event is specifically intended for young nonprofit and foundation professionals.

People are encouraged to attend who have personal experience (good, bad or in-between) with outcomes measurement, program management and/or evaluation.

Own Your Power

On Friday, November 4^th, EPIP members gathered at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in San Mateo to explore power dynamics in philanthropy, both between foundations and grantees, as well as within our own institutions. EPIP has developed a curriculum called Philanthropology™. As you might guess, the curriculum is the study of philanthropy, specifically as it relates to EPIP’s mission and values. There are four modules that comprise the curriculum. We looked at the third on Friday: Power Dynamics.

I attended the workshop in two capacities, one as a staff member with EPIP who organized the whole day, and two as a steering committee member of the Bay Area EPIP chapter. I flit back and forth between these two perspectives, wondering how it was going for others who were attending, and actually participating myself.

Ray Bramson, Julie Hopper, and Tiffany Kane, of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation,
discuss the the three I’s of power dynamics: individual, institution, and inter-connection.

The questions posed at the beginning of the day helped to frame the discussion. How do we define power? How do we obtain power? How does that power affect the philanthropic landscape? How can you leverage your own power? How do you work with donors, with grantees, and with each other in a way that helps us all achieve our goals? Is there any way to get past the power dynamics that exist within our sector?

Emmett Carson, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, joined us at lunch, and we had the opportunity to hear his views on the subject. He shared sage advice: “Acknowledge that there is a power dynamic. Allow people to be heard, and be transparent and accountable, but acknowledge that it’s not equal.” Once you do that, he continued, the question becomes: “How do I exercise this power and responsibility in an accountable and responsible way?” In closing, he left us with: “Be as respectful as you can, but own your power.”

Everyone who is in the social sector is here for the same reason: we want the world to be a better place. How we achieve that goal is different, but we must embody our roles and exert ourselves within them to be effective ambassadors of social change.

One of the things that I love the most about EPIP is the ability to engage with people who share similar goals, both for the world and for our sector. This day-long experience with 20 other individuals was a true demonstration of EPIP’s ability to pull people together to engage in honest conversation about difficult topics. I had the chance to fall in love with EPIP and my local peers all over again as we spent the whole day doing just thing. Other Philanthropology™ modules will be available in the Bay Area and I urge you to attend. The modules provide a phenomenal opportunity to step outside of your work and think about how to be our best selves as we accomplish our goals.

Attendees of the November 4^th Philanthropology™ 3.0: Power Dynamics Module
hosted by EPIP and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation

- Kate Seely

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy | Chapter Support | www.epip.org

Upcoming Event: Philanthropology™ 3.0 Power Dynamics

EPIP Bay Area is excited to be partnering with EPIP National and Silicon Valley Community Foundation to present this upcoming program next week on November 4 2011.

We hope you and your colleagues will join us!

For more information or to register, please click HERE.

6 Ways to Rock Your Career Event Rocks!

On October 12th, popular author and speaker Trista Harris joined the Bay Area chapter at the Hub San Francisco for an engaging talk about her book, “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career.” 

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Trista is Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice, author of the blog New Voices of Philanthropy, chair of the EPIP National Advisory Committee and a passionate advocate for next generation issues in philanthropy and nonprofits.

Trista’s presentation was thoughtful, funny and heartfelt as she spoke about the challenges of balancing work and family life, taking advantage of career opportunities you’re not always sure you’re ready for and building a personal brand. Trista had great tips for attendees such as creating personal business cards and scheduling time to network before you even arrive at conferences to help build relationships and create your next opportunity.

There was time for attendees to catch up with colleagues and make new connections at the reception before and after the presentation (as well as have their books signed)! A special thank you to Trista Harris for sharing with us her stories and wisdom.

Upcoming Event: "6 Ways to Rock Your Career" with Author Trista Harris

"6 Ways to Rock Your Career" with Author Trista Harris

October 12, 6:30 - 9 pm

Reception to follow
Hub San Francisco
901 Mission Street, Suite 105, San Francisco

Tickets available via Eventbrite

• $15 EPIP Members (includes free copy of book "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career") 

• $20 Non-members 

• $10 Non-member pre-purchase of book

EPIP Bay Area is excited to bring Trista Harris, co-author of "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career" to San Francisco for a dynamic workshop on building your professional development pathway and goals to achieve the career of your dreams!

About the Workshop:

There’s no better time like the present to make progress on your career goals. In this information-packed workshop, you will learn six ways to advance your career, including expert tips on how to:

• develop expertise
• build a strong network
• establish a great personal brand
• practice authentic leadership
• plan for balance
• move on up

 About Trista Harris:
Founder of EPIP Minnesota and Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Trista is a leading voice for Generations X and Y, and seeks to create professional development opportunities throughout the sector. She has been featured on CNN and her work has been covered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the New York Times, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, Career Builder, and numerous social sector blogs. She writes about generational change in the foundation field in her blog, New Voices of Philanthropy and is an international speaker on working across generations to create social change. Trista is also the Vice-Chair of the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Board of Advisors.

About the Book:
Top nonprofit bloggers Rosetta Thurman and Trista Harris have co-authored the first book of its kind to offer career advice beyond just getting your foot in the door of a nonprofit organization. Do you feel stuck in your nonprofit career? Unsure how to take that next step? "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar" is an accessible, do-it-yourself map of how to navigate the nonprofit sector and gives you the tools that you need to move from entry level to leadership. This book is designed for professionals who want to build meaningful and rewarding nonprofit careers. "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar" is based on the authors’ experiences as well as interviews with nonprofit rockstars who have supercharged their careers. You’ll learn how to develop meaningful nonprofit experience, build a strong network, establish a strong personal brand, achieve the elusive work/life balance, and move on up in your career.

Inland Empire Learning Tour

Inside the Inland Empire: A Case Study in Cross-Issue Grantmaking

Where: Ontario

When: September 13th and 14th, 2011

For more information, visit www.nfg.org

Join the Neighborhood Funders Group's Working Group on Labor and Community Partnerships and the Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrant and Refugees (GCIR) as we explore the connection of our issues and grantmaking to improve the working, living and community conditions in two counties that are a microcosm of the issues that the US is struggling with today.

This Learning Tour will include: panel discussions with local and national activists leaders and organizers demanding and making change in the Inland Empire; academics who study the issues occurring in these communities.

Upcoming Event: Lunch and Learn, “The Shared Gifting Model”

SAVE THE DATE
EPIP Lunch & Learn: “The Shared Gifting Model”

Wednesday, August 24, 2011
12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.

RSF Social Finance
1002 O’Reilly Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94129

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you turned grantees into grantors?  What would happen if you empowered your grantees to allocate funding to their peers through a gifting model? 

RSF Social Finance held the first Shared Gifting convening in the Bay Area with local San Francisco Food and Agricultural nonprofits to ask the question: how can gift money be used to foster community and collaboration? Join us for a lunch discussion to find out what they learned from this experience and explore how foundations can leverage funding to build grantee communities and increase impact.

Featured speaker: Kelley Buhles, Program Manager, Philanthropic Services, RSF Social Finance

Kelley Buhles has worked in Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance since 2005. RSF Social Finance is non-profit financial services organization committed to transforming the way the world works with money. In partnership with a community of donors and investors, RSF offers investing, lending and giving services and fosters spirited conversations about the role our monetary system should play in the development of humanity. At RSF Kelley manages the Philanthropic Services department which includes Donor Advised Funds and grant making programs. Previously she served as the Vice President of the board of the Haight Ashbury Food Program, acted as coordinator for the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition, and directed an interactive art theme camp at Burning Man. She graduated from San Diego State with a degree in Anthropology.

RSVP at bayarea@epip.org by August 19. Space is limited and preference will be given to current EPIP members.

Lunch will be provided. Group transportation details to RSF will be given when you RSVP.

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!

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.

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.

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.