Online registration has closed. Please contact Kari or Laura directly to inquire about last-minute registration.
Session Overview
Strengthening nonprofit organizations and supporting their sustainability is an essential part of our work as grantmakers. The majority of staffed foundations, 86 percent, do just that by investing in organizational infrastructure activities such as leadership development, fundraising, evaluation, communications, and technology.
While capacity building is critical to our work, traditional models of capacity building do not always account for culture, systems and power in their design, failing to keep equity centered in their approach. Without fully assessing assumptions and values, capacity building can reinforce norms of white dominant culture, patterns of systemic racism and even perpetuate patterns of harm in the communities we intend to benefit.
GEO’s latest publication, Reimagining Capacity Building, explores principles for centering race equity in our capacity building efforts, explores the way inequities can show up and offers steps we can take to address and mitigate those inequities. During this workshop, we will take a deep dive into equity-centered practices, hear from Iowa grantmakers working to implement these concepts in their work, and begin applying these concepts to your own strategy.
Learning Objectives
- Explore the why and how of centering racial equity in capacity building
- Understand how white dominant culture and patterns of systemic racism show up in traditional capacity building programs
- Deepen your understanding of how racial equity and justice can intersect
- Learn about Midwest funder strategies to adapt capacity building strategies
- Reflect on your role in supporting equitable outcomes in Iowa through your grantmaking
Who should attend?
- Foundation executives and philanthropy leaders
- Grantmaking staff who support grant programs and programming
- Foundation board members who oversee governance and strategy
- Staff at new foundations that are establishing their grant programs and focus areas
- Program staff who coordinate nonprofit networks and coalitions
Please join us – we think this session has something for everyone!
Speakers
Nichole Hoeflich, Director of Programs, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Nichole supports content planning and development for GEO conferences, remote learning opportunities, publications and other programming.
Before joining GEO she worked at the Center for American Progress as a Graduate Student Fellow on their K-12 Education Policy team. Prior to this, she taught high school social studies at Ivy Collegiate Academy, an international boarding school in Taichung City, Taiwan, where she also served as the dean of students and the social studies department chair.
Nichole earned her masters of science in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and her bachelor of arts in history and education from Clarke University.
Mareeha Niaz, Director of Programs, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Mareeha co-creates initiatives with partners aimed at transforming philanthropic culture and practice.
Before joining GEO, Mareeha managed leadership programs at Independent Sector, a national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers at nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs working to strengthen civil society. During her time at IS, Mareeha worked on a broad portfolio including nonprofit governance and ethics, racial equity, fellowships, peer learning, online learning, leadership cohorts, and awards. She is an experienced facilitator, speaker, writer, and program designer leveraging results based leadership skills and a data-driven practice rooted in equity. Prior to this, she managed a department under the diplomatic wing at the Embassy of Pakistan working to meet the needs of the American-Pakistani population.
Mareeha is passionate about food justice, racial equity, and building community in her Eckington neighborhood of Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the board of Common Good City Farm, where she chairs the governance and nominations committee. Mareeha also serves on ProInspire’s Network Leadership Council and volunteers with organizations promoting mental health and wellness, such as Yoga District.
Sponsor
Thank you to our sponsor for this meeting, the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation!
Cost
For ICoF membership meetings, each member is given one complimentary registration, with additional registrations invoiced at $25 per person to help cover meeting costs. Invoices will be sent the week following the event. Please note that for registration purposes we have not listed a cost on the event registration page.
Location + COVID-19 Safety Precautions
Our meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston. We will be monitoring their policies as well as CDC guidelines and the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic as we get closer to the event. Attendees assume all risk and responsibility related to possible virus transmission at an in-person event. On the registration form you will be asked to review and agree to a COVID-19 liability waiver. If you become ill, test positive for, or are exposed to COVID-19 prior to the event, please stay home and take care.
Accessibility
If there are accommodations that would help you attend or participate, please contact Laura Riordan Berardi with as much notice as possible.