January 2019 Newsletter

The Link

January 2019



Learn more about TPC’s 2018-2019 Grantees

   

Other Volunteer Opportunities…

It’s never too late to start thinking about our Grant Awards/All Member Meeting, which will be held on May 29 from 6:30 to 9:00 at the Newton Marriott. If you’re able to help with the myriad tasks involved in making this evening a success, please contact Caroline Boeckman at carollama1@gmail.com.

Former TPC grantee Doc Wayne has let us know that the organization is looking to fill a few open Board seats. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact David Cohen at dcohen@docwayne.org.

Philanthropy Dialogues

We are continuing our theme for this year’s Dialogues of “Life on the Economic Margins,” with our focus trained on disparities in access to justice, education, opportunities, and health care in Greater Boston. Register soon for our last two Dialogues of the year:

Dialogue about Accessing Opportunity: February 6 (Boston)

Dialogue about Accessing Health Care: March 5 (Chestnut Hill)

             New Member Orientations

For all who have joined TPC recently, please take advantage of our new member orientation sessions. You’ll not only get to meet other fabulous women, but you’ll hear about TPC from several Board members who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

New Member Orientation in Boston: January 30

New Member Orientation in Belmont: February 4

Check out all of TPC’s Events

 

What We Do and Why:
TPC Governance and Nominating Committee

A non-profit governance committee performs many of the same duties and has many of the same responsibilities as a governance committee for a for-profit corporation. TPC’s governance committee adheres to its charter, which lays out its main duties and responsibilities. The overarching goal of the committee is to support the Board of Directors in its efforts to lead TPC as an organization toward fulfilling its mission.

Along with periodic reviews of TPC’s committee structure, policies, and organizational documents, the key responsibility for TPC’s governance committee is to oversee the process for the selection and nomination of Directors and Officers. This includes recruiting and interviewing candidates who are then recommended to the board for consideration. Along with Director positions, the three Officer positions are President, Treasurer, and Clerk. Each year at its annual meeting in November the board votes on each slate of candidates. A TPC Board Director term is three years for a +35-year-old member and two years for a Young Philanthropist (YP); Officer terms are for one year. Directors are limited to two consecutive terms.

We are pleased to announce that we are welcoming 6 new board members in 2019, bringing our number up to a robust 14. For those of you who haven’t already met these dynamic women, we invite you to read the bios for each of: Caroline Boeckman, Caitlyn Clarke, Erin Cooper, Cathy Konicki, Sue Meehan, and Cassandra Trujillo. We are also particularly delighted that the YP community is well-represented around the table. We are also happy to tell you that Susan Benford was elected President, our Treasurer is Barbara Gaskin, and Cheryl Wakeham will serve as Clerk.


We invite you to read the charter for the governance committee for a deeper understanding of the work it does in ensuring the board is populated by a well-rounded, skilled group of women bent on fulfilling TPC’s mission today and far into the future.

 

Grantee Impact: School on Wheels Massachusetts
TPC Liaisons: Leslie Levenson and Mary Ryan

On a cold December morning, TPC liaisons Leslie Levenson and Mary Ryan chatted with Kathleen Graham, Executive Director of School on Wheels Massachusetts (SOWMA). Founded in 2004, SOWMA supports the academic, social and emotional growth of students impacted by homelessness. Kathleen became Executive Director this past June, succeeding SOWMA’s founder, Cheryl Opper.

What inspired you to join School on Wheels?

I have always been passionate about helping children, especially those who need us most…and who needs us more than a child experiencing homelessness? I’ve dedicated my career to working in youth services and most recently spent 12 years at the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, where I started as a Program Director and eventually became Executive Director. I was drawn to the grassroots beginnings of School on Wheels and was excited to join as Executive Director in June 2018 and even more excited to lead its growth and expansion.

Continue interview with Kathleen Graham

 

A First for TPC

Since TPC was started in 2012, we have held constant the amount each member donates to support our mission-related and operational expenses. These contributions – $100 for those over 35 and $50 for Young Philanthropists – cover just 53% of what it takes to deliver what you’ve come to expect from TPC: the all member Grants Awards Meeting; Philanthropy Dialogues; Connect the Dots events; funding 8 to 10 Fellows’ memberships annually; Volunteer Days; and other educational events like film screenings and book discussions. In addition, this fee pays for the valuable time and skill of our extraordinary administrator, Alison, as well as costs for bookkeeping, accounting, and required legal filings.

While our sponsors underwrite some of these initiatives, the time has come for us to raise this portion of our dues by $75 and $25, respectively. Effective January 1, 2019, total membership dues will be:

  • $1,175 for those over 35 years of age, with a $25 discount for payment by check, and
  • $575 for Young Philanthropists

Please know that the Board and Development Committee debated this increase at length, and realized that none of us could think of any other pricing that hadn’t risen in seven years, including the costs for services provided to TPC. Though we of course would like to hold steady on our membership dues, we believe this increase is a reasonable one. Most important, it will help us continue to provide a high level of educational programming for our members, which ultimately benefits our grantees.

 

Corporate Sponsor of
Philanthropy Dialogues:

Young Philanthropist
Initiative Sponsor:

Connect the Dots
Events Sponsor:


Copyright © 2019 The Philanthropy Connection. All rights reserved.

The Philanthropy Connection’s mission is to inspire and enable a community of women to learn, grow, and engage in collective giving to support nonprofit organizations that address systemic inequities impacting individuals and families within the greater Boston area.

Email: connect@thephilanthropyconnection.org
Phone: 617-544-7812

TPC members include all women who identify as cisgender, transgender, agender, gender queer, and femme. TPC welcomes everyone for whom “woman” is a meaningful identifier or experience.

TPC qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) for US tax purposes. Our EIN is #46-0665444.