The Link
April 2023
Welcome to TPC’s April Newsletter!
We are thrilled to share that we are preparing ballots for all members to vote for our next class of grantees. At TPC, we take pride in our democratic process, which ensures that every member has an equal vote in selecting the nonprofits that will receive our support. We believe that every member of TPC plays a critical role in making a positive impact on the community.
Whether you renew your membership, vote for the next class of grantees, or offer your time and talents to a TPC committee or directly to a grantee, your contributions are invaluable. Your support allows TPC to continue its mission of supporting nonprofits that make a real difference in our community.
We will celebrate our next class of grantees at TPC’s Grants Awards and Annual Member Meeting which will be IN PERSON for the first time in 4 years! As membership investments are the primary source of our grant funds, we encourage all members to Amplify Your Impact and invite your friends to join us for this incredible event and become part of the TPC community.
We want to thank the TPC Board and TPC members that made recent donations in addition to their annual membership investment so we could reach our $250,000 grant funding goal. As a result, we will be able to fund 10 new grantees! Any funds received over this year’s goal will go directly toward our grant pool for next year.
The pandemic made it difficult for us to recruit and attain members, but with your help we hope to increase our membership so we can continue to make a positive impact for Boston area nonprofits.
Will you take a moment to help TPC better understand our membership? In order to identify opportunities to strengthen our work, we have created an All-Member Survey to learn why you were drawn to TPC and how you would like to continue your engagement as a member.
We appreciate your continued support and dedication to our mission. Thank you for being a part of TPC and making a difference in our community!
CELEBRATE YOUR IMPACT!
Please join us for TPC’s largest and most rewarding event of the year. On the evening of Thursday, June 8, we will gather at Wayfair in Back Bay for our 2023 Grant Awards and All Member Meeting.
Together we will learn the results of members’ votes and hear from each of the 10 organizations that will be receiving a $25,000 grant.
This will be our first in-person Grant Awards & All Member Meeting since 2019! We are excited to come together to celebrate our deserving, to-be-announced grantees and our members’ dedication to making a difference in Greater Boston. There will be plenty of time to connect (or reconnect!) with your fellow members. Refreshments will be served.
Amplify Your Impact: Bring Your Friends. This much-anticipated evening is a great opportunity to share TPC with a friend. By inviting someone new, you’re not only introducing them to TPC’s mission, but you’re also helping us increase our grant pool and make an even greater impact on the community we serve. At this event, they will receive an exciting introduction to TPC and our dedicated members.
Interested in helping to plan this event with other amazing TPC members? Please contact Leslie Levenson.
YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN ACTION
Get to Know Grantee: Neighbors in Need
The Neighbors In Need Diaper Pantry is holding a Diaper Drive in honor of Mother’s Day. Look for the email and link to buy and ship directly from Amazon just before Mother’s Day.
On April 14, eight TPC members saw the important services Neighbors In Need (NIN) provides first hand as they sorted and packed food at the warehouse in Lawrence. The experience illustrated the critical role the food and diaper pantry plays in the Lawrence community. NIN relies on volunteers at their food and diaper pantry to provide support to those in need in Lawrence.
Neighbors In Need was established in 1983 to feed the poor and hungry in Lawrence without question or means testing. All food, formula, diapers, and infant supplies are provided free of charge to those who request them. Nearly half of those served are children under the age of 18. Access to healthy, affordable food is a serious public health issue in Lawrence – the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and premature cardiovascular disease are twice the state average. These significant health disparities are rooted in long-standing economic conditions in the area.
NIN is part of the National Diaper Bank Network.The access to diapers that the NIN Food pantry provides is critical Diapers aren’t always available at food banks, and they’re not covered by federal and state programs like Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Look for upcoming details via email and social media on the Mother’s Day Diaper Drive.
To learn about ways to volunteer or support NIN, see their volunteer opportunities.
Interested in Learning More About Philanthropy?
Held from May 2-4, the We Give Summit is a virtual celebration of collective giving. You can attend one or more of the workshops, panels, or talks offered over the course of the three days. Meet and hear from other collective giving groups, or tune in virtually to one of the keynote speakers, adrienne maree brown, Dr. Ibram X.Kendi, Carlos Saavedra, and Gloria Walton.
Registration is free, but donations are welcome.
Provide Your Input as a Philanthropist
Philanos is requesting your input for an important collective giving survey – the 2023 U.S. Collective Giving Landscape Research Initiative! This is an opportunity for you as a member of a collective giving circle and as a Philanos Affiliate to be part of crafting a collective story. This is your opportunity to share insights and data that will support our Philanos Network and Philanos Affiliates in endeavors for the future.
Take the survey today!
INTERESTED IN DIRECTLY SUPPORTING OUR GRANTEES?
It’s Gala time of the year for many of our grantees! These fundraising events are important for nonprofits because they provide an opportunity to raise funds, increase awareness about their mission and goals, and engage with their supporters. Please consider supporting our grantees by either attending or by making a donation.
Join RESPOND on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at Hotel Marlowe for the RESPONDing to Domestic Violence Spring Soirée Cocktail Reception. Buy tickets or donate here.
Get your tickets for Minds Matter Boston’s Spring Soirée or make a donation here.
Cambridge Camping’s annual event On the GO! will feature Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author, Ron Suskind who will share his personal story raising a son with autism and the journey of love, connection, meaning and survival, told in his book and film Life, Animated, a story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism.
There will be a Champagne and Sushi reception following the main event and we will offer free childcare and a chaperoned trip to the MIT museum for children to enjoy if caregivers want to attend the event without children.
When: Sunday October 15th at 3PM
Where: MIT’s Welcome Center, 292 Main St., Cambridge
Walk, Run, or Join Virtually to Support Grantee MARE
When: Sunday May 21st 2023, 9AM-1PM
Where: Jordan’s Furniture, 450 Revolutionary Drive, Taunton, MA
Register to Walk, Run or Virtually Participate
The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) hosts their Jordan’s Walk/Run for Adoption event each year. All funds raised from this event go towards helping children and teens in foster care find adoptive homes. This event includes festivities, food, games, balloons, and family-friendly fun! Walkers and runners are invited to complete a 5k fun-run, consisting of three loops around the course.
If you are interested in rallying a team together email Annemieke Rice.
DEI SPOTLIGHT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The first Earth Day in 1970 was a call to action after a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA. The resulting protests and rallies led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. Laws were enacted between 1970 – 1973. Since then, an environmental justice movement has formed to address the ways our changing climate is disproportionately and negatively experienced by certain communities and populations “first and worst,” including BIPOC and low-income.
For this April’s Earth Month, here are some resources to learn more and take action throughout the entire year:
Learn about Environmental Justice (EJ) principles.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines EJ as: “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys: The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.”
- Use this interactive map from the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to learn more about EJ communities across the state.
Get Involved with Former TPC Grantees That Prioritize Environmental Justice
Since 2013, TPC grantees have included the following organizations that work to address environmental justice and food access, which are impacted by climate change: