May 2020 Newsletter

The Link

May 2020

A Video Message from TPC President, Barbara Gaskin

Before diving in to read this month’s Link, please check in with Barbara Gaskin via this short video about how we can continue to help those who need us more than ever by doing a very simple thing.

Why I’m A Member

“I’m a member of TPC because when women come together we are powerful! By pooling our funds and supporting some of the most innovative and effective nonprofits in the greater Boston area, we make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors. And we have fun doing it!”
(Adriane Musgrave, Member since 2016)

The excitement is building for what we anticipate each year: the reveal of our 2020-21 class of grantees at 7:30-8:30 pm on May 28.

Please register today for our virtual Grant Awards & All Member Meeting, and invite as many as you would like by sending this url (https://tpc14.wildapricot.org/event-3683305/Registration) with a note about why you think they’d find TPC membership a great, rewarding investment. Too, if you haven’t renewed yet, there’s still time to earn a $50 match for your membership contribution, which “Seasoned” members can spread out over 6 months beginning June 1 and ending November 1. Renew by June 15 to secure the matching funds and to support our 2021-22 grantees!

Announcing new Virtual Educational Events for members!

In June, we will be offering a discussion focused on “Understanding Trust-Based Philanthropy.” Connect and learn from each other in this hour-long forum. Read, talk, view, and discuss what trust-based philanthropy is all about. These sessions will continue over the summer, but for now, watch your in-box for more details and registration information for this June event.

Janet Seckel-Cerrotti. Photo credit Meri Bond

Janet Seckel-Cerrotti

Grantee Impact: FriendshipWorks
Liaisons: Jennifer Chesnulovitch and Cassandra Trujillo

For our Grantee spotlight this month, Cassandra Trujillo interviewed Janet Seckel-Cerrotti, the executive director of FriendshipWorks. Many of us are just now learning how difficult isolation can be, but for more than 35 years FriendshipWorks has been deploying a range of programs – from long-term friendship matches, to short-term escorts, to medical appointments – to help even the most isolated of older adults feel more connected. (Read more…)

DEI Spotlight
Diversity | Equity | Inclusion

In our most recent Task Force meeting, we announced the Board’s approval of enhancements to TPC’s belief statements, which will be shared at the upcoming Grant Awards & All Member meeting on May 28. Stay tuned!

Additionally, the Task Force discussed strategic planning efforts and implications for DEI efforts. Next, we reviewed the DEI Task Force Mission Statement, which a smaller group will convene to work through in more detail. Lastly, we shared updates from our DEI working groups, with a focus on enhancing the demographic questions for the upcoming membership survey. (Read more…)

Young Philanthropist Initiative

Did you know that TPC, through generous additional contributions from members, sponsors Fellowships each year for several women between the ages of 21 and 35 in order to support and encourage the next generation of philanthropists?

The Fellowship is open to any young woman interested in becoming part of the women’s collective giving movement and is motivated to help TPC redefine what it means to be a philanthropist. Selected TPC Fellows commit to immersing themselves in the experience by joining a grant team and a committee, along with a host of other duties.

Interested candidates go through a rigorous selection process with two stages, the latter being an interview with two current TPC members. This year we received more than 20 applications from some of Greater Boston’s best and brightest. The pool of candidates spanned a wide array of ages, races, backgrounds, and experiences. We are looking forward to introducing our 2020-21 TPC Fellow cohort during this year’s Grant Awards & All Member Meeting on May 28.

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.