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Our Networks

The Forum’s Peer Communities and listservs offer our members ongoing opportunities to connect and learn with their peers with similar job responsibilities in regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs). Peer Communities offer opportunities for members to connect through ongoing listserv discussions, regular round-robin calls and an in-person convening each year at the Forum’s Annual Conference. 

Our Peer Communities are a benefit of membership for the staff and CEOs of the philanthropy-serving organizations in our network.  

Please see the descriptions and staff contacts below and use the sign-up form at the bottom of this page to join a Peer Community (note: you must be a logged in member of the Forum to use this sign-up function).

Join a Peer Community or Listserv

Peer Communities

Communications

Forum Staff Lead: Tirrea Billings, (202 243-7021)
Co-Chairs: GlenAndrea Brown, Health & Environmental Funders Network and Jill Chi, Minnesota Council on Foundations

The Communications Peer Community is for those with a communications role at a PSO. Topics for discussion may include newsletter, social media strategy, website and other content curation, writing op-eds, etc.

  • Communications Listserv (communicationsstaff@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Three round-robin calls per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Emerging Practitioners

Forum Staff Lead: Brandon Iracks-Edelin (202-991-5217)
Co-Chairs: Cozzie King, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and Kuʻuleinani Maunupau, Native Hawaiian Philanthropy

The Emerging Practitioners Peer Community is for PSO employees with less than five years of experience in the philanthropy field. 

  • Emerging Practitioners Listserv - You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Three round-robin calls per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Finance & Administration

Forum Staff Lead: Ivana Bikombe, (202-869-4327)
Co-Chairs: Jill Beharry, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy   and Ashley Miller, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties   

The Finance and Administration Peer Community will discuss issues related to the office operations of a PSO. Topics covered will include human resources, office space, file management, accounting, benefits, and any other area of interest.

  • Finance & Administration Listserv (rafinance@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Three round-robin calls per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Lean, Keen, Producing Machines (PSOs with up to 5 Staff)

Forum Staff Lead: Courtney Moore (202-888-7428)
Co-Chairs: Berkeley Bryant, Blue Sky Funders Network and Taryn Palumbo, Orange County Grantmakers

Currently in its pilot phase, the Lean, Keen, Producing Machines Peer Community is for people working for Forum members that have five or less staff members. This is a space for these PSOs to connect, share and learn on how to maximize their strengths for greatest impact: LEAN: While lightly staffed, these PSOs must constantly be innovative, resourceful, and focus on impact in delivering their work; KEEN: These PSOs are strong, profound, powerful, and lively organizations focused on their mission and maximizing impact; PRODUCING MACHINE: These organizations must maximize unique staffing structures to produce results with sometimes less financial and staff resources to perform at the highest levels.

  • Lean, Keen Listserv (leankeen@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Two virtual learning opportunities per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Membership

Forum Staff Lead: Courtney Moore, (202-888-7428)
Co-Chairs: Craig Weinrich, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Claudia Williams, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

The Membership Peer Community is for those who support membership recruitment and retention efforts at their PSO, manage member benefits, onboard new member organizations and staff/trustees, and manage their organization’s membership database.

  • Membership Listserv (membership@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Three round-robin calls per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Program

Forum Staff Lead: Traci Slater-Rigaud, (202-457-8784)
Co-Chair: Daria Teutonico, National Center for Family Philanthropy and Eliane Walters, Philanthropy Colorado

The Program Peer Community is for those who are responsible for their PSO’s member programming, educations and partnerships.

  • Program Listserv (programs@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Three round-robin calls per year
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
Public Policy

Forum Staff Lead: Matthew L. Evans, (202-759-6920) and Nathaniel Borek, (202 386-6426)
Co-Chair: Shanetta Martin, Maryland Philanthropy Network

The Public Policy Peer  Community is for those who work in advocacy, government relations, and public policy efforts for their organizations.

  • Public Policy Listserv (publicpolicy@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum & this Peer Community to post to this list.
  • Quarterly Webniars
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference
CEOs

Forum Staff Lead: David Biemesderfer, (202-888-7533)
The Forum provides a variety of opportunities for the chief executives of regional and national PSOs to network, share and pull from each other’s expertise and keep updated on work across the network.

  • Regional PSO Listserv (raceos@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum to be a part of this listserv.
  • All CEO Listserv for both Regional and National PSOs (allceos@lists.unitedphilforum.org)- You must be a member of the Forum to be a part of this listserv.
  • Six round-robin calls per year for CEOs of Regional PSOs 
  • Six round-robin calls per year for CEOs of Regional and National PSOs 
  • In-person meeting at Forum’s Annual Conference

Listservs

All Member Staff & CEO Listserv

In addition to the listservs listed above for each Peer Community, the Forum operates this listserv for staff and CEOs of all Forum members, both regional and national PSOs (allstaff@lists.unitedphilforum.org), where members can request and share information about resources and happenings with the entire Forum membership. Staff and CEOs of Forum members are automatically added to this listserv. You must be a member of the Forum to be a part of this listserv.

Corporate Services Listserv

Forum Staff Lead: Courtney Moore, (202-888-7428)

This listserv (corporate-services@lists.unitedphilforum.org) is a space for PSOs with corporate members to ask questions and share best practices for supporting this specific category of membership.

PSOs Supporting Nonprofits

Forum Staff Lead: Courtney Moore, (202-888-7428)

This is a listserv for PSOs with a focus on nonprofits in addition to philanthropy - this may or may not include a formal membership structure.

Racial Equity Listserv

Forum Staff Lead: Traci Slater-Rigaud, (202-457-8784)

This listserv (racialequity@lists.unitedphilforum.org) is to support an open exchange of equity-focused learnings, ideas, practices and tools among Forum members. Conversations about equity are different than other listserv topical areas because of centuries of racialized violence and intersectional inequities. These inequities have resulted in radically different experiences and outcomes for people based on race, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities and other dimensions of difference.  For these reasons, the Racial Equity Listserv will require a higher level of commitment to equity-focused learning, self-reflection and awareness, and thoughtfulness and rigor than other email exchange forums. 

Research & Evaluation Listserv

Forum Staff Lead: Courtney Moore, (202-888-7428)

This listserv (research@lists.unitedphilforum.org) is for Forum members who are engaged in data collection and research projects at your PSO. It is a place for you to ask questions from your peers across the country, share your own new research, share new resources, etc. 

Technology Listserv

Forum Staff Lead: Val Rozansky (202-888-7430)

This listserv (technology@lists.unitedphilforum.org) is for Forum members who are engaged in technology management and decision-making at your PSO. It is a place to ask questions, share news and resources, offer recommendations, etc.

How to Join a Peer Community or Listserv

To join a Peer Community or listserv, please use the form below or contact membership@unitedphilforum.org and indicate your Peer Community/listserv(s) of interest. The sign-up form is restricted to members of the Forum - please login to unlock it.

You can only sign up for one community at a time. If you need to subscribe to several communities, please return to this page and repeat the process by selecting your next community. After hitting the "Subscribe" button, you will receive an email from our listserv service (Groups List Manager <sympa@lists.unitedphilforum.org>) to confirm your email address. You will only receive listserv messages once you've followed the instructions in this email. You may need to check your spam/junk folder. 

By subscribing to the community you will be added to its respective listserv and will receive notices of peer community calls and shared resources.