October 2017 Newsletter

Join or Renew October 15 to be eligible for the $1K Grantee Raffle: Win and choose the recipient!

October 24: Philanthropy Dialogue with TPC grantees PAIR Project and Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC)

October 25: LDB Peace Institute: Champions of Peace Reception

November 2: Book Group Hosted by Young Philanthropist Initiative

November 16: Philanthropy Dialogue with TPC grantees Doc Wayne Youth Services and Daily Table

Doug Rauch, Founder and President of Daily Table (DT), met with Susanne Beck to talk about how this TPC grantee is working to help alleviate food insecurity. Via its not-for-profit grocery store, opened in Dorchester in 2015, DT provides a variety of nutritious, tasty, convenient, and affordable foods that will help customers feel and be their best. They provide both “grab-n-go” ready to eat meals, and a selection of produce, bread, dairy, and grocery items, all at prices designed to fit within every budget. Many items are prepared fresh daily in DT’s on-site kitchen.

In late August, Bridget and Cynthia headed to Workbar in Cambridge to attend Demo Night where Resilient Coders students, supporters, and potential employers gathered for a celebration that showcased their newest Bootcamp graduates. 

Demo Night is held several times a year as each cohort of Bootcamp students concludes the program and participants begin their job searches. The evening provides students with the valuable opportunity to showcase their skills, practice their public speaking and networking, and engage with hiring managers. Following an opening address by Resilient Coders’ founder and Executive Director David Delmar, the Bootcamp’s 16 newest graduates presented brief personal pitches to potential employers in attendance. Students introduced themselves and shared why they would be a valuable addition to a technical team. Following this, students had the opportunity to mingle with attendees, allowing them to give more in-depth details about the projects they had completed while also discussing their coding interests.

Bridget (pictured right) felt particularly “connected” to the evening. She became interested in the work of Resilient Coders following her own transition into the software industry as someone with a non-technical background…she graduated from a coding bootcamp earlier this year. Bridget noted, “There is tremendous opportunity in the tech industry, particularly for those coming from a non-traditional path. Resilient Coders recognizes this and supports its students in both the classroom and careers.” Bridget and Cynthia will continue to work closely with Resilient Coders over the coming year to connect TPC members with opportunities to learn more about and support the work they are doing to “hack the opportunity gap” in the tech industry.

Young Philanthropist Update

On Saturday, September 16, 40 Young Philanthropists gathered at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge for a morning of connecting and learning. The three-hour event, Learn. Lead. Advocate: A Toolkit for Women in Philanthropy, included three thought-provoking sessions:

Joining a Board and Being an Effective Board Member, led by TPC members Amy Cahners and Susan Donahue of Cahners & Donahue Associates

Financial Planning for Young Philanthropists, led by Phuong Luong, Financial Planner and Founder of Just Wealth (formerly with TPC Grantee Compass Working Capital)

Taking Action: Best Practices for Advocacy, led by TPC young philanthropist Veronica Martinez, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party

From learning about what questions you should ask when considering joining a board, to practical tools to help you plan for your financial future starting today, to learning howto be an advocate (and not being afraid to start small right now!), attendees left the event feeling inspired and empowered.

As TPC Fellow Leigh Chandler said, “All three workshops were helpful in touching on topics I’ve always wanted to know more about, but didn’t know where to look. Two of the sessions were led by fellow TPC Young Philanthropists, and it illustrated to me how much we can learn from one another. It makes me excited to hear from other YPs on their topics of expertise, and hopefully contribute, too!”

Abby Alexanian, another enthusiastic attendee and TPC Fellow, agrees, telling us, “I loved the Toolkit event because I had the opportunity to attend three very different workshops that still all related to topics I am interested in and have wanted to learn more about. I’m so glad that I didn’t have to choose between which workshops to attend because I enjoyed them all so much! Thank you for organizing this event, and I look forward to attending more like it in the future!”

You can learn more about the event by visiting our Twitter Moment.