Two Observations

At a recent meeting, DC EPIP members discussed the difficulties of managing an organization like ours in a city like DC. As a group of under-fortysomethings, we're getting established in our careers, taking on new professional obligations, finishing college, entering graduate school, having families, and more. In short, we're busy, busy, unbelievably busy people. That's not to say that other generations aren't busy. I can only assume that it just gets worse.

Add to the mix the transience of DC professionals. People are constantly coming and going. New opportunities take us to different places and back again.

It's a fast-moving, fluctuating membership of emerging leaders going places. Obviously, it's going to be tough to bring those people together. So we tried to come up with a new way of looking at the situation and a way of dealing with it:

Observation #1: When a leader leaves, celebrate. That's what we call a victory. If EPIP is about networking and professional development for emerging leaders, when an emerging leader gets an opportunity to lead through a promotion or a new job elsewhere, that's a victory. Yeah, it's going to be tough losing that leader to new responsibilities, but the organization should anticipate that. EPIP has to anticipate - at the very least, believe - in the possibility of its own success.

Observation #2: Go in pairs - at least. That means redundancy has to be built into everything we do. It means the buddy system. If only one person is heading up a program or event, that program or event is one scheduling conflict, one promotion, one job away from not happening. The Third Thursday lunches have survived leadership transitions and more because several wonderful people have taken it on. When one can't make it, another steps up. It's like a phalanx of gracious hostesses - and I get great lunches and great conversations because they scout for restaurants and send an invitation every month.

We work as a team. We work in teams. If one of us moves out, up, or on, we can celebrate with them because there's someone else to take up the tasks tomorrow. If we don't do this, we watch what we build disappear with the builders.

--Cross-posted from Capital Epiphanies

Good Question

Michael Seltzer contends that the "diversity" debate is not really about diversity but perhaps something greater:

What has transpired is an ongoing commitment by a group of large California foundations to address a key issue of our time -- the growing economic and social disparities affecting low-income and minority Americans, and the undercapitalized, community-based organizations that have been created in an attempt to make health care, education, and housing available and accessible to all Americans. The agreement struck by these California foundations invites the question: What would happen if all U.S. foundations agreed to put poverty alleviation and the elimination of economic and social disparities based on racial, ethnic, gender, and other differences on their agenda and allocated a portion of their grant dollars toward that end?

Since Mitch Nauffts says, "It's an excellent question -- and one that more foundations should be asking themselves," I'll take a stab at a response.

Indeed, what would happen if all U.S. foundations agreed to put poverty alleviation and the elimination of economic and social disparities based on racial, ethnic, gender, and other differences on their agenda and allocated a portion of their grant dollars toward that end?

Well, what would you call a contractual arrangement by which a portion of our collective resources are devoted to public ends? I could have sworn there were words for these things.

Kevin, I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot like taxes and, you know, like, a government.

Kevin, I think you're right.

***

I've noticed two broad critiques of the independent sector.

The first tends to come from the business sector. Nonprofits need to cut administrative costs, streamline processes, and pursue earned income strategies. They need to define goals, measure results, and determine impact. If we only applied lessons learned in the business world about how to run a successful organization, the nonprofit sector would be much more successful.

The second critique is that leveled by critics in the diversity debate. Certain populations are short-changed by philanthropy, a problem that would be alleviated if philanthropy committed to giving certain amounts to society's most vulnerable and if more members of these populations were included in philanthropic decisionmaking. Philanthropy should involve and represent the public it supposedly serves.

Basically, philanthropies should act more like businesses -- except when they should act more like our democratic government. Indeed, things would be so much better for everybody if the philanthropic sector acted more like the other sectors.

You know, I'm all for a more effective and accountable sector, but I think things would be so much better for everybody if we stopped asking philanthropy to do the work of the other sectors.

As if the other sectors are such exemplars! Since when are business and government in any position to criticize philanthropy?

Nonprofit should act like businesses? Which ones? Our airlines and our record companies whose failed business models are somehow my problem? Our insurance companies that make up the rules as they go along? Our nation's lenders who thought that making bad loans, repackaging that debt, and selling it to others was good business? We have businesses that deceive and bilk consumers, employees, and shareholders, and leave the American people to pick up the tab. I'm all for streamlining nonprofit practice, but God help us all if nonprofits act like some of today's businesses.

And don't get me started on the government. Regardless of your political affiliation, I think we can agree that American government has become by and large a spectator sport. We're entitled to an opinion every two years at most. It's government of, by, and for somebody else because it sure doesn't seem like it's of, by, and for anybody most of us know.

The reply to any Congressperson who dares question philanthropy's commitment to the poor and vulnerable in this country should be simple: what have you done lately? Seltzer imagines a philanthropic sector that puts "poverty alleviation and the elimination of economic and social disparities based on racial, ethnic, gender, and other differences on their agenda." Why not imagine a government that does that?

And there we get to the real issue: why are we turning to philanthropy for these things? Behind the desire for a more effective, accountable philanthropic sector is the desire for a more effective private sector, a more accountable public sector. But so alienated are we from the market and political forces that affect our lives, we hold philanthropy responsible. The diversity debate, as Seltzer says, really is more about "health care, education, and housing" than it is about diversity, but should we imagine foundations banding together to solve these problems?

What if more businesses banded together to develop sustainable energy technologies with the same creativity that some show in creating new ways to hide debt? What if more businesses created products that met real needs with the same energy some of them show in manufacturing fleeting wants?

What if members of both parties banded together to reforge a government that represented everyone? What if fighting poverty was back on their agenda?

What if the other sectors started pulling their own weight? What would philanthropy do then?

Because these are good questions, too, ones that more foundations should be asking themselves.

EPIP's Quarterly Newsletter

We have a list of ideas and updates to include that we generated in the national office - do you have an idea or an article that you would like to include? If so, post your comments here today!

"What's your vision of philanthropy...?"

At May's Council on Foundations Philanthropy Summit, next generation leaders gathered at a party no one at the Council had ever seen or expected: Philanthropy 2.0. Event sponsors 21/64, American Express, The Case Foundation, Changemakers, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, the Goldhirsh Foundation, the John and James L. Knight Foundation, Jewish Funders Network, Resource Generation, and the Third Wave Foundation, brilliantly transformed one of the Gaylord Hotel's meeting rooms into a club: DJ, lights, couches, bar, the whole deal. All around the room were tables introducing club-goers to important next generation leadership groups and computer kiosks featuring the latest online resources.

For a few hours, it was the unauthorized concurrent session I'd been waiting for - only with music. It was my new Resource Central - only with traffic. Maybe it's just that they had the bass turned up, but I could feel things shift ever so slightly under our feet. And at Resource Generation's area, I got to tell them where I thought things were shifting.

If you happened to stop by the Resource Generation table, you were asked, "What's your vision of philanthropy? What does Philanthropy 2.0 mean to you?" You slashed your answer into a piece of paper and posed smiling for the waiting digital camera.

The folks at Resource Generation compiled the photos for Youtube here: Visions of Philanthropy: A Photo Project by Resource Generation (hey, who disabled the embed?).

That's my ugly mug with the sign that reads: "The Aristocracy of Everyone."

I pilfered the phrase from Benjamin Barber and his defense of public education as preparing young people for citizenship.

Philanthropy can sometimes seem like the last remnant of aristocracy. It's something other people - usually very rich people, their children, and close advisors - get to do.

Philanthropy is about privilege - but that privilege, the honor and joy of giving, can be shared. Philanthropy is about nobility - but the nobility belongs to anyone who donates time, talent, and treasure and, with his or her fellow citizens, helps create the world they want to live in. If philanthropy is an aristocracy, at least it's an "Aristocracy of Everyone."

"What's your vision of philanthropy?"

Send Mike at Resource Generation your own pictures or leave a note in the comments.

Saving the World in Study Hall, NY Times OpEd from Sunday

This OpEd piece by Nicholas Kristof was especially appropriate after last week's Council on Foundations' Summit. Kristof's blog highlights some options for student activist work. These topics are on my mind often these days not only because of the Summit (where EPIP really rocked the house), but as we head into the presidential elections, with Obama as a potential presidential nominee who recognizes the potential of the next generation of leaders.

**more on the millenials, the issues they face and how this manifests into their politics here.

EPIP and New Voices of Philanthropy have joint COF conference coverage. Check on some of the great posts covering the action.

Dispatches from the COF Conference by Trista Harris, New Voices of Philanthropy

Philanthropy 2.0 coverage by Brittany Buckingham, Gates Foundation

Leadership for the New Generation and What's in Your Mission? from Jasmine Hall Ratliff, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

A New Generation of Foundation CEOs by Athena Adkins, Travelers Foundation

I am Next Gen from Trista Harris, New Voices of Philanthropy

How Media Impacts Life Outcomes of Black Men and Boys by Tracey, Black Gives Back

Social Justice Philanthropy, Where is the Movement? from Melissa Johnson, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

Jollification in the Caribbean from Trista Harris, New Voices of Philanthropy

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

with Nora Burton, Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation
and winner of $20 Good Card for Network for Good, soon to be going to PAWS!

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
I got a Next Generation Scholarship to come here. I'm staying in somebody else's room to be here. I just feel really supported by the community. It's not only more established leaders supporting the next generation, it's the next generation supporting the next generation.

And I just get inspired by seeing all these leaders, wondering what I can do to step it up.

What does Philanthropy 2.0 mean to you?
To be honest, the idea of 2.0 is new to me. It's crazy. TechSoup, Second Life. Is it fun? Is it work? It's crazy.

Linetta J. Gilbert, senior program officer at the Ford Foundation, 2008 recipient of the Robert W. Scrivner Award, and founding supporter of EPIP, takes the stage to say a few words:

"When Rusty first approached me and asked about an affinity group for young people, I was certain of the need but not sure of who would come--this is truly a blessing to see everyone here, so turn the music back up. We're just so proud to be a supporter."

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

Amid the lights and sounds of a session hall turned dance club, the next generation of philanthropists assembles to celebrate a revolution in giving: Philanthropy 2.0. With my back to the speakers, I'm reminded of the maxim attributed to Emma Goldman:

A revolution without dancing is not a revolution worth having.

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

with Chandler Bazemore, Northstar Fund

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
I think it’s this. This is the end of the day. Let’s relax and have a good time.

What does Philanthropy 2.0 mean to you?
It’s really about taking it to the next level. Our parents were 1.0. The next generation is 2.0.

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

with Crystal Dundas, Wachovia Regional Foundation

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
I really enjoyed hearing Sherece West. Having gone through being a leader at a young age, she was so very genuine.

I also liked the lunch plenary today. One thing I would like to see is quality education talked about as a human right.

What a scene? Has the Council on Foundation ever seen neon lights, disco balls and lots and lots and lots of laptops? NO. This year has bene a real important showing of Next Generation reps, voices and passions... And, how Rusty Stahl, Executive Director at Emerging practitioners in Philanthropy really knows how to really 'MC'..! This is an incredibly inspiring experience for me-- in particular--being a first attendee at a COF Summit. I feel welcomed and wanted, and I feel like at age 21, I really know that this is the place, and the field, and the community for me. I am meeting my partners and my peers and being thoroughly inspired along the way by the Baby Boomers and the Traditionalists of the field. Its a melding of ideas and tactics and tools. And, the ham-bloggers and Next Gen-tini drinks dont harm, right?

Everyone enjoy. Its not everyday that this kind of community comes together under the umbrella of iPods and Flat Screen TVs...

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
"The luncheon plenary really broadened the debate around human rights. The call to action to think more strategically around human rights, the kinds of partnerships we want to build, was inspirational. The chicken lunch--not so much..."

Live from Philanthropy 2.0...

with Lindsay McClung, Rosamond Gifford Charitable Corporation

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
"Philanthropy 2.0 and I’m not just saying that. It’s not that I don’t feel welcomed. It’s just doesn’t grab my attention. I need something that I can actually apply. I feel like it’s just talk sometimes. It’s so top-down sometimes. It doesn’t grab me. I need more applied knowledge—examples of what other places are doing."

What does Philanthropy 2.0 mean to you?
"A new way to transfer knowledge"

Live from Philanthropy 2.0

...with Melissa Johnson, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

The best event/meeting/moment so far:
"The session on Next Generation CEOs...varying perspectives, all hopeful and connected to the conversation about leadership.

What does Philanthropy 2.0 mean to you?
"energy, fresh perspectives, change on the fast track"

I blinked and the first day of the COF Summit passed by me. Milano Harden summed up the day well when he said at the EPIP late-evening gathering that it was at once "overwhelming and like a homecoming." At the first COF annual conference I attended in 2005, people were so excited that emerging leaders filled a table of 10 and tonight no less than 90 people cycled through the EPIP late-evening gathering. The Summit is being held at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor, Maryland (check out a map here - yes, even cab drivers here don't know where it is exactly).

EPIP, Resource Generation and 21/64 organized a Generational Leadership track of programs that, if the first day is any indicator, will indeed provide insight into the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces in the next few years, energize both ends of the spectrum to continue to talk about these issues and serve to provide a forum for identifying next steps for our field. Read about one EPIP emerging leader salon at the New Voices of Philanthropy blog. New Voices also has a blog about how Media affects young black men, a session coordinated by the Association of Black Foundation Executives.

Tactical Philanthropy provides insight into how other attendees here at the Summit are thinking about philanthropy, including as a result of a Super Shuttle ride from the airport.

Enjoy the links to other blogs and stay tuned for more. For those not at the conference, email jen (at) epip (dot) org and let us know what you want to know more about from the Council on Foundations' Summit!

Hi everyone,



The Summit - and the generational leadership program track within it - is upon us, and i want to thank Trista Harris and everyone else who volunteered to blog on this site and on New Voices of Philanthropy!



Along with Taij (Resource Generation) and Sharna (21/64), I am guest blogging on Tactical Philanthropy to cover the Summit, so check that out as well (a post from me went up today about how the Summit will attempt to "flatten" the Foundation world ala Tom Friedman).



I believe this Summit will usher in the beginning of a new inter-generational era in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. The issue of enerational change in have been simmering - the conversation is everywhere in the nonprofit world, but funders are just beginning to get their heads around it, and to gear strategies and grants to address.

New Voices of Philanthropy and Emerging Practitioner’s in Philanthropy’s blog EPIPhanies will be providing extensive coverage of the COF conference from the perspective of next generation leaders. We have assembled a great team of bloggers including: Athena Adkins, Brittany Buckingham, and Gali Cooks, but we are still looking for additional writers especially individuals that were selected for Next Gen Scholarships. You can write about one session or all that you attend but we are really looking for a variety of perspectives of the conference. Blogging at the conference is a great way to give back to the field and is a fabulous way for you to raise your visibility as an up and coming leader (and get access to some of the quick to fill up Next Gen sessions). The team is filling up quickly so contact me at tristaharris (at) gmail (dot) com if you are interested.

The Council on Foundations' Summit is in two weeks!

EPIP led the creation of the Generational Leadership Program at the Summit. This will be a ground-breaking conference, and the Generational Leadership Program will be an incredible and unique opportunity for EPIP members and other emerging leaders to connect to each other, dialogue with esteemed foundation CEOs, and bring emerging voices to the Summit! Be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event!

Check out the Case Foundation's recruitment email for its method of choosing grantees:

I just voted in the Make It Your Own Awards and now my favorite charity has a chance to earn $2,500 for its cause. You should vote too! It's all part of a great program that supports some of the coolest community-building projects I've ever seen -- just by us voting online!

The Case Foundation (the program's sponsor) has just announced the Top 20 finalists. And it's up to us online voters to decide which of these great ideas make it to the Final Four ... and receive $25,000 to help make their dream a reality.

And the Foundation is giving a $2,500 Good Card to the first 10 people to correctly pick the Final Four grantees! The money can be used to make donations to any U.S.-based charity.

So head over to the ballot to make YOUR picks, and read all these awesome stories firsthand. Thanks for your support, and remember -- keep spreading the word!

Watch the promo video, too.