TECH UPGRADE

New Member Database Updates

Thank you to the over 1,500 members who have already activated their new PEAK accounts to access CONNECT, the 2023 Grants Professionals Salary Report, and our many resources.

Haven’t logged in yet? Go to https://my.peakgrantmaking.org. For members who previously had an account with PEAK, click Forgot Password? to activate your account.

COMING SOON

Assessing Financial Health Virtual Training Series

This fall, join colleagues for PEAK’s new financial training series beginning in September. Over the course of three months, PEAK is partnering with BDO to provide three workshops focused on building participants’ knowledge of fundamental financial health concepts and developing more trusting relationships with nonprofit organizations throughout the grantmaking cycle. Registration opens July 30.

PEAK2025 Call for Proposals Opens in August

In preparation for our convening in New Orleans next March, we will invite our community to submit session proposals that will inform and inspire grants professionals to become activated change agents in philanthropy. Keep an eye out for an email in the coming weeks with information on the convening’s theme, session tracks, session types, and innovative ways we'll be learning together.

Peer Network Spotlight

PEAK offers members diverse peer spaces for learning, sharing, and evolving in our thriving chapters and peer groups. Each month, we showcase the meaningful programming and networking taking place in these volunteer-led spaces and how the PEAK team is supporting their work. Stay up to date on upcoming meetings by checking PEAK’s events calendar.

PEAK Northern California and PEAK Southern California have joined forces to offer programs throughout 2024 for members in both regions. As part of this initiative, the chapters will cohost the PEAK Speak series, which will feature monthly drop-in virtual sessions to facilitate open conversation and connection opportunities around topics like grants management systems and process improvement projects.

In addition, PEAK Pacific Northwest recently held a coffee hour gathering where attendees were able to build on previous chapter conversations on the process of winding down a funding organization, exploring avenues for establishing a new government-funded grantmaking program, and the advantages and disadvantages of conducting surveys in-house versus outsourcing them to a third party.

PEAK in Community 

Here’s the latest on how PEAK is engaging with member organizations, partners, nonprofits, and allies in advocating for transformative change and leading the way in advancing equitable and effective grantmaking practices.

Senior Membership and Community Engagement Director Sara Richman Sanders joined the Mellon Foundation for its grants management team retreat in New York City to facilitate an interactive session on leveraging strengths as a team. Learning objectives included understanding your own and one another’s communication and leadership styles, competencies, strengths, and learning edges; building on these strengths to work better together as a team; and identifying ways to best work and successfully communicate with team members across the organization. Special thanks to Mellon’s Director of Grants Management Nora Mitnick for welcoming PEAK into the retreat!   

Chief Strategy Officer Betsy Reid and Chapter Specialist Dionne Thompson attended the United Philanthropy Forum's 2024 annual conference in St. Louis. Dionne also volunteered her time and thought partnership as a member of the planning committee.

PEAK board member Roland Kennedy, Jr. joined Robert Cremonini from GivingData for “Equity in Practice: How Funders & GMS Providers Connect Process & Principle,” an in-person conversation that built on Roland’s PEAK2024 presentation where he challenged grants management system providers to step up and join funders and grantees in the journey toward more equitable business practices. Together, they explored challenges and opportunities as well as actions that can drive equity throughout the sector. 

PEAK is partnering with two philanthropy-supporting organizations in their efforts to better understand trends and practices across the sector. First, the Technology Association of Grantmakers has launched their 2024 State of Philanthropy Tech Survey, to provides insights into the policies, practices, and perceptions of tech in our sector. Click here to take the survey, which closes on July 31. Second, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project has launched their annual grantmaker survey to better understand how trust-based practices are being adopted and understood. Click here to take their brief survey.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Latest on PEAK’s Job Board

Explore career opportunities from across our member community. Searching for a new team member? PEAK members are invited to add job postings at no cost. Simply log in, complete a brief form, and your post will be added shortly.

Here are a few current opportunities:

• Program Associate | The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Asheville, NC 
• Grants and Scholarship Manager | East Bay Community Foundation, Oakland, CA
• Program Assistant | Science Philanthropy Alliance (Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors) Hybrid, New York, NY 
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Headwaters Foundation, Missoula, MT 
• Community Impact Coordinator | Rose Community Foundation, Denver, CO 
• Vice President for Grantmaking | Hampton Roads Community Foundation, Norfolk, VA 
• Associate, Content Development | Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Remote 
• Director of Grants & Public Policy | Partnership for Better Health Carlisle, PA, Virtual/Remote 
• Manager, Research and Communications | National Center for Family Philanthropy, Washington, DC 
• Employment Program Officer | Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Chicago, IL