The Link

April 2020

Why I’m A Member

“I joined TPC to get familiar with a variety of local nonprofits serving under-resourced people in this period of growing inequality. TPC has provided many opportunities to dig deeper into a variety of social challenges facing our communities. I’ve been inspired by the leaders of grantee organizations and by the amazing members of TPC. My donation is money well spent.” (Stephanie Kurzina, Member since 2017)

Grant Awards & All Member Meeting Update

We are making plans for the virtual Grant Awards & All Member Meeting to be held at 7:30 pm on May 28 via Zoom. The one-hour program will give you the opportunity to meet our 2020-21 class of grantees via video as well as hear updates about TPC from various presenters. We hope you will join us on May 28 and invite you to register today.

The program will follow our traditional model with a live introduction and closing from TPC President, Barbara Gaskin. The highlight, of course, will be the revealing of the 10 new grantees selected by our membership, featuring a video presentation from each organization. There will also be short reports from Membership, the Young Philanthropist Initiative, and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion effort.

The official invitation will be sent on April 22, but we ask now that you save the date and think about women you would like to encourage to register as your guest.

There’s more! Please watch your in-box for an exciting, enticing renewal announcement from the Membership Committee. Also be on the lookout for this year’s grantee ballot, which will be sent earlier than usual on May 1.

We’d like to say a special thank you to member Nicole O’Connor of Sevenpair Studios for her help and expertise in creating a professional video production for key elements of the program.

Update on Other TPC Events/Grantee Needs

We know the importance of staying connected as a TPC community in this time of crisis. The Member Engagement Team is working on virtual ways we can continue to learn, particularly as it relates to the impact of COVID on non-profits and the populations they serve. Stay tuned for more information shortly.

Sunday, May 17, 10:00 am. TPC is forming a virtual team to participate in FriendshipWorks’ fifth annual Walk to end Elder Isolation. Join TPC member Linda Corinne’s team. You can walk around your neighborhood, walk your dog, tune in to the award ceremony, or simply participate from your most comfortable chair. Contact member Linda Corinne directly with questions.

Sunday, May 17. TPC is forming another team for grantee Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE)’s largest and most important fundraiser of the year, Jordan’s 5K Run/Walk for Adoption, which is now being held as a virtual event. Participation can be any time within the week leading up to May 17. Join our TPC team, organized by member Anne Ruggles. Questions, contact Anne directly.

We’ve updated the list of needs that our grantees have provided to us to help them get through this difficult time. Please review the list to see if there is something you might do to “flatten the need curve.”

Jessye Kass

Michelle Long

Grantee Impact: Cambridge Women’s Center
Liaisons: Lindsay Donovan and Ruth Ferguson

Ruth Ferguson met with Center Director Jessye Kass and Michelle Long, Manager of Grants and Development, in early March, shortly before everyone’s world was turned upside down by COVID-19. As this report is being written the Center is closed and Jessye reports she is working on extended helpline offerings, with a call-back system and directing folks to the best two alternative resources for their request/need. The helpline has been received well in the area, and Jessye has been training volunteers the past two weeks. Their biggest need is financial donations to keep afloat right now, since the physical center is closed – but they will need help when it’s time to re-open. Jessye has been in touch with many of the Center’s regular members, and she reports they’re surviving reasonably well through these difficult times. Some have even called her to make sure she’s okay! (Read more…)

Grants Update

Each year, March, April, and May are the height of TPC’s grant process. Teams are busy meeting to evaluate grant applicants, scheduling site visits to learn more, and finalizing their selections for the annual ballot for the full membership vote. Our grant process was in full swing when COVID-19 hit our state and Governor Baker issued stay at home guidance, and we are grateful for how quickly our 17 grant teams adjusted to keep our grant processes moving and to focus on steps we can take to be as supportive as possible to our applicants during this time.

Respecting social distancing, our grant team meetings shifted from in-person to virtual meetings in March, when teams met to review applications and select organizations to proceed to site visits. In April, teams are conducting site visits via conference call, with roughly four members from each team meeting the non-profit team via video, listening to their presentations, and taking time to address any outstanding questions, including how the team is addressing any impact from the crisis. Though our video site visits are shorter than our in-person visits in order to lessen any burden on applicants during this time, they continue to be inspiring and informative.

Teams are also moving faster through the ballot recommendation process so that TPC can be supporting the new 2020-21 grantees as quickly as possible. The ballot will be distributed by May 1 this year, and we are asking all members to vote by May 15, with the winners announced earlier, distributions made before our normal schedule, and grant award recipients celebrated virtually at the end of May.

Huge thanks go out to all grant team participants for their flexibility and continued commitment to TPC’s grant review process. In this unprecedented time, we want to act with urgency to support the important work of our grantees. Please keep an eye out for upcoming emails regarding the ballot process, and thanks in advance for your vote and your participation in the virtual award celebration.

It was a truly unforgettable time and special moment for the Boston tech community.

DEI Spotlight
Diversity | Equity | Inclusion

This month, the Task Force drafted a team mission statement and a DEI Values statement for TPC as a whole. We presented a draft to the board at the last board meeting in order to collaborate on a final statement to share with all TPC Members soon.

This month we are excited to share the following resources with you:

Podcast: Pod Save the People “There is No Straight Line” – Live from Seattle, the team discusses overlooked news, houselessness, presidential candidates, policing, and more in the context of COVID-19.

Articles and Essays: Color of Change: Coronavirus Poses Racial Justice Concerns in Every Aspect of Society – Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, issued this statement regarding coronavirus

Book: Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister – “A vital, incisive exploration into the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement.”

Want to share feedback, ideas or opinions about the Task Force’s work? Please email the Task Force directly at: Diversity@thephilanthropyconnection.org.