The Link

January 2022

A Message from Co-President Bridget Dunn

Happy New Year! TPC has a number of exciting things in store for 2022 and we are delighted to have you along for the journey with us.

I am pleased to introduce our new co-President, Leslie Levenson, and would like to thank outgoing co-President Barbara Gaskin for her years of dedication and leadership. I am happy she will continue to make valuable contributions as a member of our Board of Directors, albeit in a different role. I am also delighted to announce the addition of four new members of our Board of Directors: Valerie Godwhani, Kelsea Médard, Clare Rager, and Annemieke (Mieke) Rice.

Last year included the introduction of our new investment structure, designed to increase access to TPC membership. We were thrilled to see that vision come to fruition with our 2021 year-end membership numbers ahead of last year’s. Though the numbers are not quite final, we are on track to meet, and possibly exceed, last year’s grant pool total of $250,000. We hope to have the final tallies for February’s Link, but for now we are pleased that our vision for a larger membership that allows us to amplify our impact on grantees is becoming a reality. We are looking forward to keeping up the momentum in 2022.

The Grants season is under way and teams are currently evaluating LOIs. If you are looking to get involved with TPC outside of Grants, there are many ways to do so. Please keep your eyes open for an email later in the month that will list open committee leadership and membership opportunities as well as for periodic emails offering opportunities to volunteer with our grantees.

TPC is made stronger by each one of its members. We are glad to have you here with us and are looking forward to the impactful year ahead!

Have You Followed or Liked Us?

As we begin 2022, we’d like to ask that you follow and like TPC across its social media platforms. It’s easy to do if you already use either Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. In the same way that collective giving magnifies your impact, so too does sharing posts with your networks. Not sure how to start? Simply click on one of the logos above and to the right – links to each of our platforms will take you where you need to go.

Upcoming Education and Volunteer Events

Tuesday, February 8, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. We are pleased to pass along an invitation for you to attend the webinar, “Trust Based Philanthropy in Action: Supporting Grassroots Organizations for Major Community Impact,” hosted by Philanos.Philanos is a national network that serves to catalyze the movement of women in philanthropy by connecting women’s collective giving grantmaking organizations. TPC member Susan Benford currently serves as Chair of Philanos’ Board of Directors.

Thursday, February 10, from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm. Please join us for an evening Dialogue where we will discuss “Beyond Employment – The Challenges to Economic Stability.” We will be featuring TPC grantees BEST Hospitality Training, Fathers’ Uplift, and TPC member Tariana Little who will share stories and provide perspective on the myriad challenges their clients face as they seek stable employment. They will also speak to the impact economic stability has on their clients’ mental and physical health as well as the social determinants of health.

BEST Hospitality Training is looking for TPC volunteers to practice interviewing skills with graduates of its healthcare environmental services and hotel housekeeping training programs. Practice interview sessions will be held virtually between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm the weeks of:

  • January 31 through February 11
  • March 14 through March 25
  • April 18 through April 29
  • May 23 through June 3

Volunteers may choose the 2-hour shift on any day/time that works with their schedules. BEST welcomes participation for as many shifts as possible. Volunteers are required to attend a one-hour virtual training session. Training date options will be shared when you sign up. Please contact BEST staff member Lori Sylvia to sign up.

Grantee Impact: Neighbors in Need

Liaisons: Marge Amster and Lisa Deschenes

Founded in 1983 in Lawrence, Neighbors in Need (NIN) operates 13 food pantries open to the public and strategically located in neighborhoods throughout Lawrence, Methuen, and Andover. The focus has always been to be a neighborhood presence and provide walkable locations for clients, many of whom do not own cars. With only two full-service grocery stores in Lawrence, a community of 89,000, NIN strives to provide as much healthy food as possible to those in need. NIN also runs a diaper pantry that was identified as a critical need in the community several years ago. (Read more…)

Member Impact: Immigrant Family Services Institute

TPC liaisons Kaj Wilson and Kathryn Kern teamed up with six TPC members over the last several weeks to help fill out Work Permits for Haitian refugees arriving in Boston. So far, 30 forms have been completed and there are about 75 that still need to be completed.

IFSI staff member Morgan Sutton said, “Judging by the flow of families in our office, this need will be ongoing with the current numbers for at least the next month or two.” Three additional TPC members have been trained and are signed up to volunteer in the New Year. If you would like to join this volunteer team, contact TPC member Kathryn Kern for details.

In addition to this effort, TPC donated several hundred dollars’ worth of supplies (over-the-counter meds, school supplies, and tarps) to be included in a shipment to Haiti. The Boston Globe featured an article with the big picture view about the plight of Haitian refugees; IFSI is mentioned in the article.

DEI Spotlight

Diversity | Equity | Inclusion

As you know, grant season is in full swing. Whether you’re on a grant review team or not, you may be interested in these articles, which highlight some of the ways in which TPC is making its grantmaking more equitable.

  • This article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review talks about Overcoming Racial Bias in Philanthropic Funding and highlights some of the reasons TPC has made changes to its grant process, for example asking for demographic information as part of the LOI process. 
  • TPC has made trust-based philanthropy a cornerstone of its grants process in order to embed equity into the process. For an introduction to this concept visit either this tongue in cheek (but very good!) article from nonprofit blogger Vu Le or The Whitman Institute’s article, Trust-Based Philanthropy. You can also watch a recording of TPC’s January 14, 2021 Philanthropy Dialogue about trust-based philanthropy by visiting the Past Virtual Events section of our website.

Want to share feedback, ideas or resources? Please email us directly at: Diversity@thephilanthropyconnection.org