Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) is a national network of changemakers who strive for excellence and equity in the practice of philanthropy.

Our Mission

EPIP's mission is to empower emerging leaders and elevate philanthropic practice in order to build a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

Our Vision

EPIP envisions a world where people of all identities can live full and prosperous lives, supported by a diverse, equitable, inclusive and effective philanthropic sector.

More specifically, we envision a field that:

• Fosters healthy, safe and inclusive work environments, where staff from diverse backgrounds and life experiences can bring their whole selves to work;
• Responds to and is inclusive of nonprofits and local communities - especially those most vulnerable, such as people of color, LGBTQ people, women, immigrants and refugees, etc. - in grantmaking, activities and decision-making;
• Communicates in plain language, models transparency, makes itself deeply accessible to the public and communities, and devotes energy to making the grantee experience efficient and empowering;
• Takes bold stances on issues and is willing to incur risks to uphold our most deeply held values and ideals; and
• Continuously pushes itself to test creative approaches and adopt effective practices to advance all of the above.

Our Approach

We take the following approaches to advance our mission and vision:

Values: Our Five Commitments

We advance our mission and vision in keeping with these shared commitments:

• Shared Leadership: We lead boldly and lift up the leadership that lives throughout the EPIP community - individually and collectively, locally and nationally, and intergenerationally. We believe there’s power in collaboration. We invite ourselves and each other to step into greater leadership, and we bring our unique strengths to our work with partners to influence the sector.
• Excellence: We hold ourselves to high standards of professional practice and integrity, working compassionately and creatively to respond to the complex needs of the people and communities we support. Recognizing that excellence commands respect, we develop talent with an eye for supporting our members to grow our collective influence.
• Community: Acknowledging that philanthropy alone doesn’t hold all the answers, we believe in the power and leadership of communities most affected by inequities. We actively seek to uplift the voice and wisdom of communities we support, and for a growing number among us, the communities we come from.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We work to advance a sector that reflects the rich diversity of our nation at all levels of leadership, and that protects and ensures fair access to resources, opportunities, and political processes to all people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, class, ability and age.
• Learning: We believe we are all always a work in progress. We’re committed to our development as leaders by taking measured but courageous risks, thoughtfully testing ideas, being honest about failures, and embracing learning as part of a continuous growth process.

Who Does EPIP Serve?

You don’t have to be under 40 to be emerging. EPIP’s community includes:

• Early-career professionals looking to develop their skills, to contribute their talents and insights through their work, and to lead change in their organizations and the sector;
• Mid-career professionals newer to philanthropy seeking to deepen their understanding of the field and how to bring an equity lens to their work and the sector;
• Mid-career professionals with philanthropic experience looking to take their leadership to the next level and committed to our vision and values;
• Senior professionals and institutions excited by our vision for the sector, who want to bring their wisdom, experience and standing as champions to influence changes across the sector.