Doing Good in the 21st Century

GrantCraft will be releasing Lucy Bernholz's Blueprint 2014 in December, which is the forecast of the social economy for the year ahead. This post shares some of EPIP's ideas for Doing Good.

With support from Blue Shield of California Foundation, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) is pleased to announce the launch of Doing Good in the 21st Century, a joint exploration with La Piana Consulting that began at the 2013 EPIP National Conference in Chicago earlier this year. Many emerging and established leaders participated in the workshop, and their thoughts have been captured in video recordings and a published report, “Voices from the Field”. Together, we asked the question: “How must the social sector adapt to succeed in meeting 21st Century challenges and opportunities?” The answers are compelling and inspiring.

Broken down into seven areas: New Reality, Sector Blur, Technology, Philanthropy’s Role, Diversity and Power, Business Models, and Generational Shift, the videos and accompanying report highlight emerging trends and examples of individuals, organizations and communities who have proven their ability to succeed in the current climate. EPIP provides specific action items to accompany the videos and report that give guidance on how to apply 21st Century leadership practices in the workplace. For example, we explore how the generational shift is not a leadership “hand-off”, but rather an opportunity to forge a new path together, which we can all do by:

• Embracing all generations to work collaboratively
• Seeking out intergenerational dialogue to learn from one another and build powerful relationships
• Creating new models that allow for multiple people to lead
• Being patient but persistent in changing organizational structures

"Doing Good” is a significant step in our work with emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs in their professional and personal philanthropy. Our organization promotes radical thinking beyond traditional, old-guard philanthropy. We promote diverse, multigenerational perspectives and value innovation for meeting societal challenges. We encourage everyone to view the videos and read the full report, accessible at: www.epip.org/doinggood. Also, you can follow the conversation on social media with #DoGood. Feedback is highly encouraged!

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) develops emerging leaders committed to building a just, equitable, and sustainable society.