LEARNING SERIES

Take a Deep Dive Into Vetting Nonprofit Financials

Register now for our new Assessing Financial Health Virtual Training Series, created by PEAK in partnership with BDO. Starting September 11, the curriculum of three workshops will build your knowledge of fundamental financial health concepts and how to develop more trusting relationships with nonprofit organizations throughout the grantmaking cycle. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.

GOVERNANCE

Call for Board Nominations

PEAK has officially opened nominations for our 2025–28 board of directors. We are looking for a minimum of three new board members and are especially interested in candidates who have demonstrated their dedication to PEAK, our Principles, and community; are committed to and have experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion; possess financial acumen; and have experience and interest in fundraising and resource development. We are dedicated to having a board with diverse personal lived experiences (including race, ethnicity,  gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status), as well as ensuring a variety of professional backgrounds and organization types are represented. Learn more about board member qualifications, capabilities, and the nominations process here. 

Join us for an Ask Me Anything event on September 20 where we will share a brief overview of the PEAK board and the director selection process before opening the floor to your questions.

To apply, please complete and submit either this self-nomination form or this form to nominate a colleague by September 30, 2024.

Announcing Our Second Mentorship Pilot Program

We believe that our members—regardless of their title or tenure—can learn from one another and support each other as change agents within philanthropy. That’s why we are excited to announce the second pilot of our mentorship program, in honor of Orneata Prawl.

This year, we are working in collaboration with PEAK New England to bring together 31 mentors and mentees together for mutual support, learning, and collaboration. We’d like to give special thanks to the selection committee for reviewing, selecting, and pairing our applicants. Check out the list of mentors and mentees here.

We are looking for sponsors now to support this work. Interested? Contact Member Outreach Coordinator Nichia McFarlane to learn more.

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.

In a perfect blend of business and pleasure, 14 members of PEAK Midwest met in Chicago this month to connect, exchange ideas, and strengthen professional relationships while also enjoying the Millennium Park Summer Music Series.

PEAK Florida hosted “Untangling Demographic Paradoxes for Funders” with panelists Cesar del Valle from Candid, Marilyn Benjamin from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and Melodie Griffin from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. They discussed how demographic data collection drives equity, best practices for data collection, and the importance of identifying funding gaps to inform grantmaking strategies.

PEAK Northern California was excited to announce the start of their in-person monthly happy hour events, which will be held at locations across San Francisco so that members can come together and make meaningful connections.

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.

The recently released sixth edition of A Consumers Guide to Grant Management Systems for Private and Public Foundations represents a major collaborative effort between PEAK, Grantbook, Technology Association of Grantmakers, and Tech Impact. To celebrate the launch of this resource, PEAK Chief Operating Officer Dolores Estrada joined Hart Strategic Marketing’s Amadie Hart, Grantbook’s Tierney Smith, TAG’s Jean Westrick, and Tech Impact’s Linda Widdop on a webinar to share how to use the guide, explore trends in grants management systems, and field questions from the audience.

While at the annual United Philanthropy Forum conference, PEAK President and CEO Satonya Fair gathered with fellow CEOs of philanthropy-supporting organizations for a day of learning and sharing. In addition, the group held an in-depth discussion on the social sector’s pushbacks on racial equity and concerns regarding disinvestment in philanthropy-supporting organizations over the past year.

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:

• Contract Manager | Arnold Ventures, Houston, TX 
• Grants Manager | Ballmer Group, Bellevue, WA 
• Director of Engagement & Communications | McGregor Fund, Detroit, MI 
• Auditor, Compliance (with Russian language skills) | The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Washington, DC 
• Controller | Bush Foundation, Saint Paul, MN 
• Senior Grants Program Officer | C.K. Blandin Foundation, Grand Rapids, MN 
• Grants Officer | Kataly Foundation, Remote, San Francisco Bay Area, CA 
• Specialist, Member Grants | Feeding America, Chicago, IL 
• Operations and Grants Assistant | Crown Family Philanthropies, Chicago, IL