The Link
August/September 2020
Greetings from TPC President Barbara Gaskin
2020 has been a year of change for everyone. As we all embraced the new virtual world, TPC made a concerted effort to increase educational programming for members aimed at addressing a growing list of timely issues affecting the communities around us. We hosted online events about trust-based philanthropy, the impact of COVID on communities of color, and the role of philanthropy in working for racial equity. We hope you have been able to join TPC’s virtual events this summer. And there is much more on the horizon, with new types of educational programming and book discussions as we lean in and learn about the issues that impact our grantees and what we as members can do in response.
Please join your fellow members at upcoming educational events and bring a friend. We have opened up these discussions to nonmembers who may be interested in learning about TPC. Our next two Dialogues will include several of our current grantees and will cover the topics: “The Digital Divide,” the existing educational gap and how it has widened during the pandemic; and “Environmental Racism,” how two local nonprofits are addressing and responding to adverse environmental effects in communities of color.
TPC is in the midst of a strategic planning process and we anticipate we will have many exciting changes to tell you about as we review our grantmaking, educational programs, membership experience, and the integration of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion principles into all aspects of our organization. We believe it has never been more important to be a member of TPC: the need in our community is especially great right now and will continue into the coming years.
To our current members, thank you for continuing to support TPC’s mission, and to others, we invite you to join us!
Upcoming Events
See what’s coming this fall at our summary of upcoming events.
Connections: Amplifying Our Impact
We all know that when a pebble is dropped into a body of water, concentric circles form and spread across the surface. The larger the pebble, the larger and more numerous the circles. This is the perfect metaphor for TPC members, who often begin a chain of events that takes our financial support for grantees far further than our original investment. Resilient Coders (RC), a grant recipient for two recent grant cycles, is one such example of how TPC’s support has had far-reaching impacts for the organization, its trainees, and us. TPC member Lori Landers attended the Year 2 site visit for RC. Afterwards she told her husband, Eric, how impressed she was with the organization’s role as a powerful social justice group. Eric, President of The Broad Institute, was similarly inspired and took the step of creating a matching gift program for Institute employees that choose to donate to RC. Cue the next ripple. TPC Fellow alumna Nyah Macklin learned about RC through our collaboration, attended and graduated from their coding Boot Camp, and went on to land a software engineering job at athenahealth. Not quite finished (this was a reasonably good-sized pebble), TPC Board member Susan Benford recently joined the Board of RC.
Just one story, made possible by one member dropping a pebble. If you have a pebble story, please share it with me (cwakeham@
DEI Spotlight
Diversity | Equity | Inclusion
ENGAGING OUR LEADERSHIP: 21 DAY EQUITY CHALLENGE
As part of a global movement to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits – particularly those related to race, power, privilege, and leadership – TPC’s Board of Directors recently completed the 21 Day Equity Challenge.
About the 21 Day Equity Challenge:
- Participants commit to deepening their understanding of and willingness to confront racism, bias, and other social inequities.
- Participants receive a daily challenge via email that invites them to explore a topic and choose an interactive activity such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, watching a video, reflecting on personal experiences, and more.
- The goal is to raise awareness, increase understanding, and create shifts in thoughts and behavior that promote equity.
We look forward to updating you on the experiences of TPC’s leadership in the 21 Day Equity Challenge. Read more about the challenge on Food Solutions New England’s website and stay tuned for news about a member challenge.
WE HEAR YOU: MEMBER SURVEY
TPC’s recent member survey demonstrated that members continue to believe that DEI is an essential lens to inform and shape our work. Thank you to the members who voiced interest in participating on the DEI Committee. We are working hard to identify needs and opportunities to engage more members in this work and we will be in touch with you all soon.
INVESTING OUR RESOURCES: ANNOUNCING RFP FOR A TPC DEI FACILITATOR
Acknowledging the necessity and value of an expansion of DEI work within TPC, we recently posted an RFP seeking proposals for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator to help devise and implement policies, practices, programs, and organizational behaviors that foster authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion within The Philanthropy Connection, positioning the organization internally and externally for greater engagement and impact with diverse communities. To learn more, read the Complete RFP.
WE’RE HERE: KEEP OUR CONTACT INFORMATION HANDY!
As always, if you’d like to further engage in conversations about, or take action with us toward addressing racial equity, white supremacy, police brutality, or our personal and philanthropic roles in committing to anti-racism please contact the DEI Task Force directly at: Diversity@