JAG Carries Momentum into 2012 with Annual Meeting

The six partners of the Joint Affinity Groups (JAG) approached their annual meeting in San Francisco in October with urgency and excitement.

JAG partners (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Association of Black Foundation Executives, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and Women’s Funding Network) have been conducting monthly conference calls during 2011 to plan a resurgence for the network.

Regularly attended meetings of this frequency hadn’t occurred in years. But there was a need for a plan of action to carry the momentum forward.

“We need to develop a structure,” said Y. Elaine Stephens, Native Americans in Philanthropy director of development and communications, “that supports what every one of us wants to accomplish and channels it in the right direction.”

Two days of intense discussion and collaboration updated JAG’s vision for 2012 and beyond in a way that builds on partners’ current work. The streamlined vision incorporates a three-pronged strategic framework that relates to diversity, inclusion, and equity: Advance (critical thinking and analyses), Align (partners and resources), and Activate (advocating on issues, developing leaders).

This refined vision will move the individual partners into collaborative action in 2012. JAG’s partners will craft a joint analysis of current men and boys of color work that reaches across race and ethnicities to incorporate grantmaking lenses that address sexual orientation and women and girls.

The first outward signs of JAG’s resurgence will appear in January 2012, when JAG unveils its new interactive website that drives shared connections and resources through blogging and social media.

Later in the year, JAG will begin a series of virtual meetings with the tentative name: “JAG University.” This series will provide curriculum and information related to the partners’ leadership development work to facilitate cross-training and knowledge sharing across affinity groups.

In addition, the JAG partners plan to host an event during the affinity group conferences that precede the 2012 COF annual conference in Los Angeles.