Partnerships With Values-Aligned Leaders and Institutions to Do What None of Us Can Do Alone— Strengthen the Talent and Infrastructure of the Nonprofit Sector.
EGF IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES:
Deepening Understanding. Honoring Truth. Inspiring Change.
Each year, EGF Immersive Learning Experiences offers nonprofit and philanthropic leaders the opportunity to step outside of traditional conference rooms and into deep, place-based learning environments that center truth, equity, and historical context.
These experiences are more than just site visits or professional development—they are carefully curated, multidisciplinary journeys that promote a deeper understanding of the legacy of injustice, and its continued impact on the communities we serve. Designed to be experienced in community, nonprofit and foundation leaders, trustees and senior staff, board members, scholars, advocates, and policy leaders and those committed to racial equity, truth, and systems change are welcome to join. These gatherings create space for personal reflection, shared discovery, and collective reckoning by centering untold history, fostering cohort-based learning and inspiring reflection toward deeper commitments to justice and equity in the institutions we lead.
EGF LUNCHEON SERIES
The EGF Luncheon Series is a distinctive forum intentionally designed to bring together Executive Directors, CEOs, and Board Members from both nonprofit organizations and philanthropic foundations. These gatherings aim to widen the circle of conversation, foster mutual understanding, and build stronger, more aligned relationships between those who lead, fund, and govern mission-driven work.
By convening decision-makers and changemakers across the nonprofit and philanthropic spectrum, the series creates a shared space for dialogue, learning, and collective problem-solving around the most pressing issues facing our communities.
Recent Sessions included:
“The Impact of Multigenerational Trauma on Youth Development” Featuring: Gisle Castro, CEO of Exalt Youth and Dr. Edward Fergus, Professor of Urban Education and Policy, Rutgers University
In this powerful session, nonprofit and foundation leaders explored how generational trauma impacts youth development. The conversation bridged frontline practice and systems-level policy and was followed with a robust discussion on what funders and nonprofit leaders can do, together, to respond more effectively.
Highlights From Past Experiences
Foundation Trustees and Leaders’ Summit in Montgomery, Alabama
In Fall 2024, EGF and the Fund for the City of New York launched the inaugural Foundation Trustees and Leaders’ Summit, a three-day immersive learning experience that brought together over 50 nonprofit and foundation leaders and trustees. The Summit was centered around a visit to The Legacy Sites including:
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The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration
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The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, honoring victims of racial terror
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The powerful Mothers of Gynecology Exhibit, honoring Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey—enslaved women whose stories shed light on the deep racial injustices in the origins of modern medicine.
In a community rooted in support and shared purpose, participants took part in guided discussions, reflection circles, and interactive sessions that invited them to bridge historical truths with the current realities of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership.
The Black Gotham Experience, New York, NY
In June 2025, EGF invited an intimate group of nonprofit and foundation leaders to experience Sarah’s Fire Walk, a powerful historical tour curated by Black Gotham Experience. Set on the southern tip of Manhattan—once home to both free and enslaved Black people—the walk brings to life the complex realities of urban slavery in a port city deeply connected to the sugar plantations of the West Indies.
At the heart of this narrative is Sarah, an enslaved woman who was one of 29 individuals involved in the first militarized Black rebellion on Manhattan Island, which took place on April 6, 1712.
Led by multidimensional artist and historian Kamu Ware, participants journeyed through the streets of downtown Manhattan, uncovering hidden histories. The experience concluded in Ware’s studio, where guests continued exploring the untold stories of New York’s Black diaspora.
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EGF COMMUNITY GATHERINGS: Creating
Space for Nourishment, Joy, and Connection
Throughout the year, EGF opens the doors of our home at 61 Gramercy Park North to welcome our extended community—grantees, partners, neighbors, and friends —for moments of warmth, joy, and meaningful connection.
These Community Gatherings are an essential expression of our values: that relationships are at the heart of change, that joy is a form of resilience, and that shared spaces—both physical and emotional—are vital for collective well-being.
Take a look at some of our favorite moments from recent gatherings.