Peer Groups for PEAK Grantmaking Members

Over the past year, the PEAK community has rallied in many ways to support one another. Last summer, as the pandemic wore on and uprisings for racial justice were raging across the country, our members asked us to create spaces to convene around shared identities and placement in the field of philanthropy, along with spaces to convene around co-developing practical steps forward on the journey to more equitable grantmaking practices.

Co-designed with a cadre of volunteers from across our community, we launched nine forums for peer learning and support in spring 2021, with the first meetings taking place during PEAK2021 Online. Thank you to the member leaders who volunteered to co-chair and continue to develop and nurture these groups.

Interested in learning more about these groups or getting involved?

Members, please complete this form to indicate your interest. Contact our team with questions at info@peakgrantmaking.org.

Sign up to join a peer group

Upcoming peer group meetings

Affinity Groups

Six affinity groups, open to all PEAK members, are focused on networking and peer learning.

Black Caucus
An affinity group for those identifying as Black, African American, or African

Co-chairs

Edberte Beauzile, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Blanch Vance, Grove Foundation
Shantelice White, Bainum Family Foundation
Shakila Woltz-Lous, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Latinx Caucus
An affinity group for those identifying as Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx

Co-chairs

Rachel Gonzales, Animal Assistance Foundation
MariaClaudia Lora, Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc.
Isabella Gargiulo, Argosy Foundation

Asian American Pacific Islanders Caucus
A space where PEAK members who identify as AAPI can connect, network, and support one another

Co-chairs

Anna Huynh, Pacific Foundation Services
Sheryl Saturnino, The Miami Foundation
Jina Song Freiberg, Public Welfare Foundation

Accountability & Action for Allies Caucus
An affinity group for those who want to learn to be better allies to marginalized populations

Co-chairs

Kelsey Andersen, Citi Foundation
Deb Vaughn, Oregon Community Foundation

Corporate Grantmakers Affinity Group
An affinity group for corporate foundation and corporate social responsibility staff

Co-chairs

Margaret Buckley, McKesson Foundation
Jill Ames, Alcon Foundation

Intermediaries Affinity Group
An affinity group for grants management professionals who work at intermediaries

Co-chair

Melissa Vassell, Borealis Philanthropy

Small Foundations Affinity Group
An affinity group for small-staff foundations

Co-chairs

Traci Johnson, Poise Foundation
Diane Grossman, Sheltering Arms Foundation

Communities of Practice

Three communities of practice, open to PEAK Organization and Consultant Members, are focused on organization-based peer learning, and resource sharing and development.

DEI Learning and Support Community
A community dedicated to advancing knowledge about racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice frameworks, with a goal of applying these concepts to grantmaking and culture change

Co-chairs

Valerie Black, Kansas Health Foundation
Tanisha Davis, Archstone Foundation
Theresa Jackson, The Seybert Foundation

Equitable Grantmaking Practices Community
NOTE: Sign-up is closed for 2021. A community for those with a good working knowledge of equity issues who are dedicated to leading the way forward as the philanthropic sector operationalizes equity

Co-chairs

Katie Kaluza, The Chicago Community Trust
Kelly Hayashi, Heising-Simons Foundation

Tech and Data Futurists Community
A community for IT professionals and accidental technologists alike to come together to learn from each other, share best practices, and make connections to advance data practices across the field

Co-chairs

Jeff Jimenez, Surdna Foundation
Kristopher LeCorgne, MacArthur Foundation
Amy Nossaman, Ottumwa Legacy Foundation

Peer Groups

Affinity Groups

Communities of Practice

Ready to join?