On behalf of Loom Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest, Social Venture Partners, The Seattle Foundation and United Way of King County, we invite you to a very special opportunity to go beyond the usual surface conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion in philanthropy.

With national issues like Ferguson, Eric Garner and John Williams grabbing the headlines, discussing race, class and other forms of inequality can be very emotional. It is difficult and complex but essential. How do we as leaders in our communities, in our organizations and in the sector develop the stamina to remain open to dialogue, ambiguity and disagreement? How can we model candid dialogue, honesty and patience?

 Our hope is to create a cohort of peers who will learn together and serve as co-consultants to each other – sympathetic problem solvers, offering experience, knowledge and compassionate advice. Through this series, we will abandon theoretical perspectives to focus on managing real and pressing issues. Together we’ll focus on the everyday challenges and help model the kinds of conversations we want to foster.

We have designed this opportunity as a four-part series in which all participants are required to attend all four events. We ask for this commitment to not only build trust among participants but to understand and maintain the narrative arch of personal experiences.

Sessions

• February 4: What this cohort is and isn’t. Framing our time together 
• February 27: john powell, director, Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society. powell is an internationally recognized authority in the areas of civil rights and civil liberties and the intersection of race with a wide range of issues including housing, education, poverty, democracy and identity.
• April 1: What are we doing about creating a more equitable community?
• June 3: Deeper opportunity for reflection and connection to our work

All sessions will run from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. PT

Location: The February 4 session will be held at Philanthropy Northwest, 2101 Fourth Ave, Suite 650, Seattle, WA 98121. We will announce the locations of subsequent sessions here when they are confirmed.

Cost: $200 for the entire series. Sorry, no substitutions.

Availability: This event is now filled. Please contact Jake Hite at jhite@philanthropynw.org if you have any questions. 

Background

The critical role of leadership and culture in healthy, strong organizations is well researched and documented. What is less clear is how philanthropy can grow and support strong leaders and cultures, particularly when the values of diversity, equity and inclusion are at stake. Through our collective experience, we know that peer networks are uniquely suited to this job.