EOF 2025 Funder Learning Series

EOF is hosting monthly virtual calls for funders to share ideas, workshop pressing challenges, and identify opportunities to connect and align efforts around economic opportunity.

Overview

EOF members often comment that one of the best aspects of being a part of our network is the connection to other funders – both those that are working in direct alignment and those working in different areas. The purpose of the Learning Series is to provide an opportunity for funders to exchange ideas, share grantmaking practices, workshop pressing challenges, and align efforts around economic opportunity. Coupled to conversations from our in-person meetings, these monthly 50-minute virtual meetings provide a space for funders to connect to and learn from each other.

Audience

The Learning Series is for grantmakers who work for a qualifying philanthropy. This includes staff from:

  • Private, Independent, and Family Foundations
  • Corporate Foundations and Corporate Responsibility/Giving Programs
  • Community Foundations
  • Health Conversion Foundations
  • Public Charities whose primary activity is grantmaking
  • Operating Foundations whose primary activity is grantmaking
  • Venture Philanthropy
  • Donor Advised Funds
  • Funder Collaboratives or Networks
  • Pooled Funds where some joint decision-making by donors is offered
  • Public Funding Agencies
  • United Ways that serve the community as a grantmaker

If you are a consultant or advisor who is currently contracted by a qualifying philanthropy, you may qualify to participate as a representative of that institution – please contact Cema Siegel @ [email protected] to confirm.

The following do not qualify to participate:

  • Fundraising or development staff. Eligible participants must oversee or manage an organization’s giving programs.
  • Staff from institutions whose primary function is not philanthropic, including those that regrant funds.
  • Staff from grantmaking institutions that only make grants to their members or affiliates.

Format

In order to create connection, these gatherings will be held meeting-style in Zoom, with lots of opportunities for dialog and discussion.

To encourage candid and robust exchange, these sessions will not be recorded.

Each session will feature an EOF member to kick off the conversation. We may occasionally ask an outside speaker to join.

Questions

Questions? What to get on the Series agenda? Have something you want to share or that needs workshopping? Reach out to Ami Nagle at [email protected].

Registration

Monthly 50-minute calls will be held from May to October 2025. Registration is now open for our first two sessions. Additional dates and topics TBA.

May 8, 2025 @ 2:00 PM ET | Supporting the Safety and Security of Grantees
Join us to learn how foundations are investing across all aspects of security and safety (digital, physical, psychological safety, crisis communications, and legal) through Nonprofit Secure, a free security and safety service for invited US-based grantee-partners of participating foundations.

  • Erin Currier, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  • Jorge Soto, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • Maria Tourtchaninova, Nonprofit Secure
Register

June 12, 2025 @ 1:00 PM ET | Leaning in on Racial Equity in a Time of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Attacks
Join us to learn about the Meyer Foundation’s rapid response work and ongoing commitment to racial equity.

  • Leni Dworkis, Meyer Foundation
  • Jaqueline Tucker, Meyer Foundation
Register

2024 EOF Funder Learning Series

May 14 | 1:00-1:50 PM ET

Supporting advocacy and policy work on tax credits and paid family leave.

Guest Speaker: Kathy Stohr, J.B. and M.K Pritzker Family Foundation

June 11 | 1:00-1:50 PM ET

Lessons from the Raising Child Care Fund, a powerful philanthropic learning laboratory to center racial equity and power-building alongside community leaders most proximate to the country’s most pressing social challenges, including the broken child care system.

Guest Speaker: Rachel Schumacher, Raising Child Care Fund

July 9 | 1:00-1:50 PM ET

Learnings from an open-call RFP to advance state policy and strategies for sharing proposals across the EOF Network.

Guest Speaker: Karina Lewis, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

September 10 | 1:00-1:50 PM ET

Strategic conversation on philanthropy’s response to national and local retraction on progress made to improve race equity, diversity, and inclusion programs and policies.

Guest Speaker: Ben McDearmon, Council on Foundations

October 8 | 1:00-1:50 PM ET

Exploration of the recently-announced Investing in America Child Care Partnership, a new philanthropic coordinated effort to leverage federal infrastructure funding to strengthen local child care systems and increase access to high-quality, affordable child care in communities that house America’s growing infrastructure workforce.

Guest Speakers: Katie Beckmann, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Eric Buchanan, Buffett Early Childhood Fund

2023 EOF Funder Learning Series

April 5 | 1:00-1:45 PM ET

Movement building for a universal publicly supported care infrastructure.

  • Guest Speaker: Anna Wadia, Executive Director, CARE Fund

May 3 | 1:00-1:45 PM ET

Building capacity in the states to support adequate public resources and an economy that works for everyone.

  • Guest Speaker: Caitlin Hamood, Program Officer, Stoneman Family Foundations

June 7 | 1:00-1:45 PM ET

Supporting equitable implementation of federal recovery dollars and infrastructure funds.

  • Guest Speaker: Aimee Ramirez, Manager of Policy & Advocacy, Chicago Community Trust

Sept 6 | 1:00-1:45 PM ET

Supporting advocacy and organizing capacity in the states to expand state tax credits.

Oct 4 | 1:00-1:45 PM ET

Supporting and implementing trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking.

Guest Speaker: Lea Tienou-Gustafson, World Education Services Mariam Assefa Fund