Letters to My Daughter

As a new mother, I see my daughter growing up in a world in which there is no Mohammad Ali.  I am writing as a mourning mom. By the time my daughter goes to a healthy school , and learns about Dr. King, will she also learn about Muhammad Ali? Who will she look up to as the ethical leaders of her generation? Who will she look up to, to show her how to laugh in the face of xenophobia? How to joke in the face of racism? Sure, we will watch the videos, read the books, and do our best to teach our kids what is truly important. That social emotional skills matter. That people matter. That culture matters. That faith matters. That what matters most is that we are all in this together.   Our interdependence requires us to step outside of our comfort zones and engage people who are different from us who don’t think the same way we do. Philanthropy seems more akin to academia, removed from the actual needs of people, producing and disseminating research to the people who are our...

Are you interested in learning how you can use social media for your own professional development? I am joining forces with my friend Erin Barnes of ioby to present a free webinar to EPIP members. We will present case studies on how philanthropic and mission-based organizations are using social media to disseminate information and be better learning organizations. What can we as individuals do to be part of that kind of work? It's ironic really, that I would be sharing research and best practices on social media. My use of social media is mostly ad-hoc, but I rely on it as a tool that helps me engage with the world. I use it to stay informed of news, ideas, and resources. I rely on it to connect me the ideas and issues that other's are talking about. I use social media primarily to learn. And that's where the value is. As a disclaimer, I do not engage with social media every single day. If you are interested in learning more about the webinar, please feel free t...

Given the changes to Blogger, a service I have used on and off for the past 7 years, I have decided to start with an introduction.  My name is Sadia. I am a Project Manager at a nonprofit consulting organization in New York City. We provide capacity building expertise and strategic consulting in 3 major areas: resource development, governance and special events. I am responsible for tracking outcomes, program support, marketing and communications, and new business development.    I have extensive marketing, program support and monitoring experience in the nonprofit and private sectors. I've basically grown up within the nurturing spaces of NYC nonprofits like South Asian Youth Action, where I served a Board member, and Sadie Nash Leadership Project , which helps NYC youth become life-long learners and leaders.  My greatest achievement was starting  Remembering Forward , an intergenerational community arts program for diverse young women (ages 14-...