Philanthropy-serving organizations offer thousands of programs throughout the year for members, nonmembers, grantmakers, and nonprofits. These programs take many forms, from intimate brown bag lunches to elaborate annual conferences. As the hub of the network, the Forum has collected program agendas, ideas, notes, communications pieces, and more to help regional associations replicate successful programs and better serve their members.
Below you'll find some of the best practices and program ideas developed by PSOs through the years. If you have resources to share, please share them online or by emailing Courtney Moore.
Program Peer Community
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
- Forum’s Annual Conference virtual session
Interested in joining this Peer Community? Submit your email address on the form at the bottom of the Our Networks page.
Forum Staff Lead: Traci Slater-Rigaud, (202) 457-8784
Co-Chairs
Chantias Ford, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
Director of Programs Chantias Ford leads in the development, execution, and evaluation of Trust-Based Philanthropy Project’s educational programming, webinars, and cohorts. In this highly collaborative role, she delivers action-oriented, transformative learning opportunities to philanthropy professionals looking to uplift trust-based philanthropy values and practices.
Chantias comes with a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) background, and brings a wide array of philanthropic expertise, having worked as a practitioner in a philanthropy-serving organization, funder (program officer), consultant, evaluator, grantee, and grant writer. Chantias most recently came from PEAK Grantmaking, where she led educational programming, thought leadership, and peer engagement for PEAK’s diverse membership of grants managers and philanthropic professionals.
Chantias is passionate about building community, using research and data for impact, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She earned her BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and her M.Ed in Learning, Diversity, and Urban Studies from Vanderbilt University. She is originally from Huntsville, Alabama, and enjoys music, traveling, and spending time with her affectionate cat.
Mark McCrary, Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Mark comes to GOSW with a long history of nonprofit management. He most recently spent seven years as executive director of the Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls prior to establishing MissionForward Consulting. Prior to Klamath Falls, he was executive director of the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits in Jackson, MS. Most of his career has been in arts administration, which follows his love of the performing arts.
A second generation Oregonian, Mark was born in Lebanon and graduated high school in John Day. He received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Oregon and an MBA from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. He recently finished a Diversity and Inclusion certificate program through Cornell University.