The Link
December 2024
A Message of Solidarity from TPC’s Co-Presidents
It is no secret that we just completed a highly charged election cycle. While TPC members may have different opinions regarding the state of our political sphere, our desire to pursue our collective mission must not waver. For over twelve years, The Philanthropy Connection has remained committed to supporting local nonprofits that address the needs of those most vulnerable to systemic inequities. We are acutely aware of the federal government’s impact on future funding and policies that directly impact our grantees’ program participants. TPC will remain alert to the changing landscape, attuned to how our grantees’ needs may change, and poised to respond in thoughtful, creative ways, as has always been TPC’s course.
There are various pathways to foster equity. Our current grantee community provides legal services to asylum seekers, fosters food justice, mentors and provides resources to at-risk youth, addresses period poverty, furthers women’s financial literacy, facilitates restorative justice, and much more. We are steadfast in our support of meeting basic human needs and pushing for change of unjust systems. As we head into a new grant cycle, we look forward to continuing on this path.
The work today remains as important as ever. TPC’s impact grows deeper and stronger when we work as partners with each other and with our ever-expanding family of grantees. However, we know that the pursuit of this critical work can sometimes feel weary. TPC remains a place where you can actively counter the fatigue by being a part of something larger: collective philanthropy. We look forward to providing even more ways you can be a part of this change in the new year.
In solidarity,
Kelsea Médard and Jennifer Morrison
TPC Co-Presidents
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND CONTINUE YOUR IMPACT
Membership makes all of TPC’s work possible. It’s an opportunity for all of us to achieve more together than we could individually.
Did you know TPC distributes our entire grant pool each year? We start fresh annually, rebuilding our fund from scratch. This means the amount we grant directly correlates to what we bring in through memberships. That’s where we, as members, come in.
Now is the time to renew your commitment to Greater Boston nonprofits. Your membership addresses critical issues like immigration, food insecurity, and education. It is also a commitment to TPC’s democratic, member-led grantmaking approach.
Consider two ways to further your impact:
1.Increase Your Membership Investment: By increasing your contribution, you directly expand our ability to fund local nonprofits, creating change in our community.
2. Introduce TPC to a Friend: Sharing our mission is the most effective way to grow our community and expand our grantmaking.
Together, we can make 2025 our most impactful year yet!
A farewell message from TPC Co-President, Kelsea Médard
Since joining, TPC has given me a unique environment to be appreciated and understood, and offered me a platform where issues that mattered to me also mattered to the women around me. Seeing such deep commitment to philanthropy catalyzed my interest in not only being a member, but also multiplying the ways that I could support the organization in achieving its mission. With each new way that I deepened my involvement with TPC, I have sharpened my understanding about the individual, leader, and philanthropist that I aspire to be. For these lessons, I will always be grateful.
The end of my term as Co-President is drawing near, which makes me keenly aware of the fact that the collective nature of our experience at TPC echoes well beyond the dollars that we grant; it is also reflected in the bonds we have developed with others while being tethered to a common mission, and the learning we have done along the way. It has been nothing short of rewarding to tackle challenges, pursue goals, award grants, and celebrate successes alongside people as passionate as TPC members.
As reflected in our newsletters over the past 24 months, we have accomplished so much together, and this has required dedicated effort and attention from our volunteers and administrator. I continue to be astounded by how much we do at TPC and the excellence with which we do it. I will look back on these past two years with immense gratitude for every TPC member and grantee organization that I have gotten to know. I thank TPC for the opportunity to serve and look forward to seeing TPC succeed for many more years to come. I extend special thanks to Leslie Levenson and Jenny Morrison for their friendship and valued partnership as fellow Co-Presidents during my first and second years, respectively. To my fellow Board members, you are each a part of the fabric that underpins why I cherish TPC so much. To our members, grantees, donors, and supporters — thank you for continuing to champion TPC. The overwhelming appreciation for TPC’s impact has made each day of my effort on behalf of the organization more fulfilling than the last.
Kelsea Médard
Members, join a grant team!
We are proud to announce the official launch of The Philanthropy Connection’s 2025 grant cycle. This year marks twelve seasons of grantmaking! We invite you to dive deeper into a core part of our mission and sign up to be a part of a Grant Review Team by December 30.
Please read the grant team member job description, and learn more about our Grant Review process on our website.
We also have grant team leadership and eligibility screener positions available! If you’re interested in taking on a leadership role within your grant team, we encourage you to read the job descriptions on the sign up form and let us know!
Events
Join Us: Recognizing and Reducing Unconscious Bias
Join the TPC DEI and Education Committees on Tuesday, December 17th for an engaging hour on Recognizing and Reducing Unconscious Bias.
Over half our members have participated in at least one of our Equity Challenges, one or more times. Many TPC members look forward to participating on a Grant Team and have expressed an interest in greater awareness of how their review and analysis of potential grantees may be biased, unconsciously.
As inclusion leader Anu Gupta says, “Stereotypes, like all biases are learned habits that take two forms: conscious biases which are learned false beliefs and unconscious biases which are learned habits of thoughts.” The good news is that “just as unconscious biases are learned, they can be unlearned thanks to the phenomenon known as neuroplasticity.”
Date: Tuesday, December 17th
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Location: Zoom (link will be provided to registrants)
TPC SOCIALS
Casual neighborhood gatherings for TPC members, their guests, and those curious about TPC.
Join us for conversations over appetizers and a beverage while networking with other TPC members.
This event is open to members and future members (invite your friends and colleagues!). This is a fantastic way to make new connections, learn about TPC, and engage with our community.
Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Time: 5:30PM–7:30PM
Location: 7 South Avenue, Natick, MA (venue phone: 508-650-4024)
Getting There: Natick Center Commuter Rail (one block walk); free parking in lot behind restaurant and street parking
Host: Rosemary Driscoll
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time: 5:00PM–7:00PM
Location: 1657 Beacon St, Brookline
Getting There: Tappan St stop, Green Line C Branch (one block walk); metered parking along Beacon St
Host: Valerie Godhwani
An Evening with Young Man with a Plan
Join us for an inspiring evening on January 29, 2025, as we partner with Young Man with a Plan to support their mission of empowering young men to build brotherhood, make academic and social emotional gains, and access sustainable futures.
This event will take place at YMWAP’s Hyde Park space. We will bring TPC volunteers together with program’s young men who have been working hard to develop their personal elevator pitches. During the evening, you’ll help these young men hone their professional skills by practicing introductions, presenting their pitches, and engaging in professional-level conversations.
This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact while fostering confidence and growth in the next generation of leaders. Space is limited, and we anticipate high interest—be sure to secure your spot early as participation is first come, first served!
Celebrate Galentine’s Day with Dignity Matters
Join us on February 13, 2025, for a special volunteer event with Dignity Matters, an organization that believes all women and girls have the right to live with basic dignity. We will be sorting and packing donated menstrual care products, bras, and underwear for distribution to women and girls in need. Together, we’ll make a tangible impact while celebrating community and connection.
When: February 13, 2025, 10-12:30
Location: 25 Brigham St, Westborough, MA 01581
Student Center for Immigrant Justice in Action
This fall, Student Center for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ) is training a new cohort of over 35 students (pictured here) in immigration law and community organizing. SCIJ is particularly focused on training and mobilizing students who have historically been excluded from this work – 78% of SCIJ’s 2024 cohort are students of color, 76% are immigrants or first-generation Americans, and 57% are women or non-binary.
During the training program, students learn about immigration law, how to complete an asylum application, effective strategies for working with clients, principles of community organizing, how to develop leadership in others, and how to create and launch a campaign. As a result, SCIJ’s training program prepares students to organize locally and to provide legal support to immigrants.
TPC Board members Penny Weeks and Rosemary Driscoll recently participated as hypothetical clients in mock interviews during an SCIJ training weekend, “Volunteering with SCIJ was an amazing experience, everything from the student interviewer’s obvious commitment to learning how to conduct a thorough and compassionate interview, through to the thoughtful and thorough communication from SCIF before, during and afterward. I look forward to the next opportunity to support SCIJ and invite other TPC members to join us.”
Sign up here to get involved in future opportunities like this and learn more about SCIJ.
Major Takeaways: Balancing Support for Immediate Needs and Systemic Change
On December 3rd, TPC hosted the Education Dialogue, “Balancing Support for Immediate Needs and Systemic Change,” with Charles Lerner, Executive Director of Massachusetts Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association; Tanya Inwald, Director of Programs at the Social Innovation (SIF); and moderator, Susan Benford, the Immediate Past Chair of Philanos and a former TPC President.
Attendees engaged with this great line-up of speakers on how we can better understand and encourage systemic change work while also recognizing and supporting the need for direct service. Here are some major takeaways that may be of interest to TPC members getting ready to review the next batch of grant applications:
- It is not an either-or choice. It is both. Many nonprofits taking steps for systemic change will also provide some degree of direct service for immediate needs. One can reinforce and inform the other.
- Systems change is a spectrum. Legislative and/or institutional change may be an ultimate end goal on some issue areas, but there are many different activities leading up to and supporting advocacy that are valuable in their own right.
- Some ways that smaller nonprofits can be impactful in systemic change and advocacy work is by conducting research, joining coalitions, and engaging in capacity building that can help amplify issues and solutions.
- Funders should seek out qualitative stories that showcase nonprofits’ systemic change work. It may not always be captured and reflected in output metrics and other quantitative impact measures.
- It is really important to keep educating and learning about the value of systems work so individuals can find as much satisfaction in giving towards it as direct service. Having and nurturing a community around systems change can bring more energy and fulfillment to the work behind it.
If you missed the Dec 3rd Dialogue, please check out the recording.
Also please consider donating any support to the event participants: MA CASA Association and Social Innovation Forum, who are both doing tremendous work in their fields to advance position changes for our region.
Support TPC and Our Grantees This Year-End
At The Philanthropy Connection, membership investments fuel our grant-making, but like any organization, we also have operational needs to sustain our mission. Your generosity—whether through membership or an additional gift—ensures that we can continue to empower nonprofits across Greater Boston while strengthening TPC’s capacity to operate effectively.
Explore the links below to support TPC and our grantees in their year-end giving campaigns.
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