2024 Meetings and Discussions

COFIE meetings are led by Dr. Dwinita Mosby Tyler, Chief Catalyst and Founder of The Equity Project, LLC  – an organization designed to support organizations and communities in building diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. She is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer for Children’s Hospital Colorado – the first African American woman to hold that position in the organization’s 100+ year history. She is also the former Executive Director of the Office of Human Resources for the City and County of Denver – the first African American woman to hold that position in the 63+ year history of the agency. Dr. Mosby Tyler, a consultant accredited by the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence, is nationally recognized for her equity work with non-profit, community, government and for-profit organizations. She is the author of White People Really Like Salad and TEDx Speaker for What if White People Led the Charge to End Racism? And here are a few of her thoughts on chipping away at inequity.

Save the dates for 2024 meeting dates!
Topics will be updated as soon as they are confirmed. All meetings will be virtual unless stated otherwise below.

  • ​Wednesday, January 10 from 3pm - 5pm at Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
    • ​Happy Hour for BIPOC-identifying Members. COFIE and Bonfils-Stanton Foundation are excited to host an in-person gathering of BIPOC-identifying COFIE members on January 10 from 3pm - 5pm. We hope you can join us and Dr. Dwinita for continued support, connection, and inspiration for our work in the future! Please RSVP here and feel free to forward this invitation to other BIPOC-identifying colleagues and peers as we continue to build our collective work. 

      As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them.

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow

  • Tuesday, February 6 from 11am - 12:30pm MT via Zoom
    • The Enneagram as a tool for resilience-building in the continued fight for liberation
      The Enneagram is an ancient system of human development that shows us the limiting stories that keep us stuck in unhelpful personal and professional patterns, and invites us into more expansive stories. For too long, conversations about the Enneagram and its personality types have been centered on and by whiteness. Please join COFIE and writer, certified Enneagram teacher and practitioner, and former psychotherapist Chichi Agorom, author of The Enneagram for Black Liberation, for discussion, learning and reflection on the Enneagram as a powerful personal and professional tool for resilience-building in the continued fight for liberation for ourselves and our communities. Please RSVP here!
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  • Friday, March 1 from 1pm - 2:30pm MT via Zoom
    • Facilitation for Equity with an Organizational Focus 
      Facilitation for equity is a logical next step in our continued learning around audits in organizational equity. In this session, we will learn how to approach the next steps to implement a change at an organization through the lens of equity. The topic of facilitation implies both conversation and action. Whether the facilitated dialogue happens at an individual or group-level, it's this skillset that will help to make meaningful change at the organization. Or perhaps, you reveal unknown roadblocks within the organization. The goal is to equip the attendees with skills to facilitate difficult but important movement in whatever position that you hold at your organization. Please RSVP here!

  • Tuesday, April 2 from 10am - 11:30am MT via Zoom
    • ​​Gathering for BIPOC-identifying members of COFIE. As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them. Dr. Dwinita will facilitate this discussion on healing, safety and the continued inequities faced by BIPOC members. Please RSVP here!

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow

  • Friday, May 10 from 12:30pm - 2pm MT via Zoom
    • ​Conflict Transformation 301: “Rehearsal for Real Life” 
      How do we walk the talk and actually sit in discomfort while simultaneously staying open to transform conflict? Join COFIE for our Conflict Transformation 301 session, wherein we will build on the learnings from our previous two sessions on the topic and get into some practice! As you may recall, our first session on this was in 2022 and our second was last year on moving from callouts to call ins.  This time we will have a quick overview of the main points of the last two, and then we will rehearse in breakout groups using modified Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. Participants can choose from various roles and engage in a simulation (based on real occurrences) to practice the conflict transformation skills we have learned to date. Join us in what Augusto Boal, the creator of the Theatre of the Oppressed, has referred to as, “rehearsal for real life.” RSVP here!  

  • Tuesday, June 4 from 10am - 11:30am MT via Zoom.
    • A New Chapter: Understanding today's landscape of impact-oriented job opportunities beyond grantmaking
      Wondering what might be next for you and your career? Curious how the landscape of impact-oriented job opportunities has evolved and what might be out there? Join COFIE to learn from three esteemed professionals whose experiences have spanned foundations, nonprofits, government, impact investing intermediaries and more. They'll share about their career trajectories, how the field is evolving, how grantmaking skills are transferable (and critical!) for new opportunities influencing capital flows for underserved communities, and moves to make now to secure those opportunities. Speaker details here and RSVP here!  

  • ​Thursday, June 27 from 5pm - 7pm MT at Lady Justice Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, Englewood, CO 80110​
  • Thursday, July 18 from 4pm - 6pm MT at Caring for Denver Foundation
    • ​Gathering for BIPOC-identifying members of COFIE. As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them. Dr. Dwinita will facilitate this discussion on healing, safety and the continued inequities faced by BIPOC members. Please RSVP here!

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow

  • Tuesday, August 6 from 10am - 11:30am MT via Zoom. 
    • Disruption Strategies. This workshop equips participants with skills to confront discrimination in real-time and offers practical tools for: 
      • Responding as a Direct Target/Victim. Empower yourself with effective responses to discriminatory actions.
      • Intervening as a Bystander. Learn safe and supportive ways to intervene when witnessing discrimination.
      • Reflecting as a Perpetrator. Recognize and challenge your own biases, take responsibility, and begin the process of repair to foster personal and community growth.

        Through interactive discussions, role-playing, and reflective exercises, participants will gain a toolkit for challenging racism, sexism, anti LGBTQ and transgender, religious persecution and other "isms." Join us to confidently disrupt inequities and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity. Please RSVP here!

  • Wednesday, September 4 from 3pm - 4:30pm MT via Zoom.
    • Equity Assessments and Strategic Plans.  Equity assessments and strategic plans are two tools through which organizations can articulate their commitment to equity while carrying out their mission and drive continuous improvement in internal and external operations. But what does it look like for strategic plans to truly incorporate and embody equity in a meaningful way? How can organizations ensure that equity assessments guide an organization through an honest and impactful analysis of current strengths, challenges, and opportunities for change? Join COFIE to learn best practices for equity-focused strategic plans and assessment tools, and explore ways that attendees, from whatever position they hold in an organization, can assert a voice in these efforts. Please RSVP here! 
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  • Tuesday, October 22 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Gathering for BIPOC-identifying members of COFIE. As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them. Dr. Dwinita will facilitate this discussion on healing, safety and the continued inequities faced by BIPOC members. Please RSVP here!

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow
      ​
  • Tuesday, November 19 from 1pm - 2:30pm MT via Zoom.
    • ​Self Care and Resilience After the Elections. Join COFIE for a session on self care and resilience following the Elections, with exploration of strategies and perspectives we can carry forward, regardless of the outcome, to navigate the political landscape in the days to come. Please RSVP here!
 
  • Tuesday, December 3 from 8:30am - 10:30am MT at The Denver Foundation.
    • COFIE Year-End Gathering: Art and Activism in Philanthropy. Join COFIE and Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius to explore art and activism in philanthropy. Ashley will engage us through an interactive poetry workshop and performance connecting creative expression and philanthropic work toward equity and inclusion. Together we will create space for joy, appreciation, and celebration of our COFIE community. Please RSVP here!

2023 Meetings:
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  • Thursday, January 5 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Power Part II: How to increase power and use it to advance racial equity. In previous COFIE conversations, we've discussed power, what it is and how to use it to advance racial equity. Join us for Power Part II, a recap and follow-up conversation where we'll discuss how to increase the power we yield as individuals and the opportunities across the field for our organizations to advance racial equity. You'll walk away with tangible ways to use power to influence racial equity based on the unique opportunities available to us in 2023. RSVP here!

  • Wednesday, February 8 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom 
    • Work/Life balance is impossible, but what about Work/Life harmony? As reports of “quiet quitting” and the Great Resignation have shown, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work for many and the relationship that some workers have with their jobs. Centered on the worker's voice and equity, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace outlining the foundational role that workplaces should play in promoting the health and well-being of workers and our communities. Join COFIE to explore the Five Essentials of the framework that support workplaces as engines of well-being and how these could (and perhaps should!) be implemented at our organizations. RSVP here!

  • Thursday, March 2 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom 
    • ​Gathering for BIPOC-identifying members of COFIE. As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them. Dr. Dwinita will facilitate this discussion on healing, safety and the continued inequities faced by BIPOC members. RSVP here!

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow

  • Wednesday, April 5 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Love as a Strategy. You've probably heard that the definition of philanthropy is "love (philos) of humanity (anthropos)" but the systems, structures and processes philanthropy is built upon often feel anything but loving. Join COFIE to explore how love, when fused with power, is a tool for justice, freedom and liberation and how philanthropy's systems, structures and processes can be re-created to strategically center love. We'll also discuss how to "measure" transformative love and in doing that, we will be challenged to bring harmony between our intellectual, intuitive, and spiritual ways of knowing. Discussion resource: Measuring Love in the Journey for Justice: A Brown Paper.

  • Wednesday, April 19 from 9:30am - 10am MT via Zoom
    • New member orientation. New members to COFIE will join the COFIE Steering Committee to learn about COFIE's mission, history, programming and membership.

  • Thursday, May 4 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • Navigating Board and Staff Dynamics and Disconnects. In theory, boards and staff are on the same team working toward a shared mission and shared outcomes, but in practice, most organizations struggle with confusing dynamics, disconnects, and tension. What are some equitable practices that we can institutionalize that would support these important working relationships? How can board members feel better connected and closer to the work without managing or unduly influencing operations? How can staff grow trust in a board’s leadership that is accountable to outcomes but does not have close connections to the work. How can foundation leadership shorten the distance between boards and staff? Join COFIE in an important discussion on organizational leadership, management and ultimately - relationships and community. RSVP here!

  • Thursday, July 13 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Giving Away Assets, Not Grants. Join COFIE to explore this question at the core of community-driven philanthropy: “What’s possible if philanthropy adopts a reparative model – one in which it supports the leadership of BIPOC communities, not just by writing grants, but by shifting assets and control over resources to frontline communities?” We'll also touch on what structures may need to be in place for an organization to receive assets instead of grants, and brainstorm on the pros and cons of this type of philanthropy. RSVP here!
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  • Thursday, August 3 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Messing Up and Moving from Call Outs to Call Ins. Join COFIE for a discussion on how to affect meaningful change through transformative practices when we don’t get it right. How can we allow ourselves to mess up, stay in relationship, grow, and learn? How can we take on tough yet essential topics knowing that we will inevitably mess up, and that nobody has it all figured out? How does perfectionism, as a manifestation of white supremacy culture, hinder our ability to engage in these conversations? Let’s begin to enter tough conversations knowing that when we want to work towards equity, we must always be learning; and that involves messing up. In this session, we will explore different frameworks, like this one: Pulling The Thread: Having Conversations We’d Rather Avoid (Celeste Headlee) on Apple Podcasts. RSVP here! 

  • Wednesday, August 16 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm MT at Raices Brewing (2060 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204)
  • Thursday, September 7 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Gathering for BIPOC-identifying members of COFIE. As part of COFIE work to promote equity in the philanthropic sector, we want to make space specifically for our BIPOC-identifying members to have room to discuss the issues that most impact them. Dr. Dwinita will facilitate this discussion on healing, safety and the continued inequities faced by BIPOC members. RSVP here!

      "Valuing and protecting spaces for people of color (PoC) is not just a kind thing that white people can do to help us feel better; supporting these spaces is crucial to the resistance of oppression. When people of color are together, there can be healing. We can reclaim parts of ourselves that have been repressed. We can redefine ourselves and support one another in embracing who we are." - The Arrow

  • Wednesday, September 20 from 9:30am - 10am MT via Zoom
    • New member orientation. New members to COFIE will join the COFIE Steering Committee to learn about COFIE's mission, history, programming and membership.

  • Thursday, October 5 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Equitable Grantmaking: Paving the Way for Inclusive Funding. Is your organization newer to grantmaking processes that aim to increase equity and dismantle structural racism? Or are you a seasoned grantmaker who already has a process for involving community voice in your grantmaking process? No matter where you are on the journey to equitable grantmaking, join us to share best practices and lessons learned with a healthy dose of reality. We’ll be guided by national leaders and breakout into smaller groups based on self-assessed level of expertise. This session co-hosted by Kaiser Permanente. RSVP here!

  • Thursday, October 19 from 9:30am - 10am MT via Zoom
    • COFIE Steering Committee Informational Session. Members interested in learning about serving on the COFIE Steering Committee will join the COFIE Steering Committee to learn about expectations, responsibilities, details and Q&A. RSVP here! 

  • Wednesday, October 25 at 10am MT via Zoom
  • Thursday, November 2 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • ​Evaluation of Equity Goals and Indicators. We often emphasize the importance of equity and equity work, but how can we measure it? There are limited avenues of measuring impact and progress toward our goals in an equitable manner and the results of equity work are not always immediately measurable. Join COFIE for a discussion on measuring impact, progress, and continuous improvement of our systems and support. RSVP here!
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  • Wednesday, December 6 from 9am - 11am MT via Zoom
    • We Serve People, Not Trends. Too often, we see the people we serve treated as trendy investments. We must not allow ourselves to fall into this trap and work to ensure that our community-centered design and giving is not extractive. Our role as funders is not only to provide grants, but to strive to maximize the support we can give beyond just funding. In our funding practices, we should invite those who are most affected by the issues that we strive to solve to have a seat and a voice at the table. Join COFIE for an important discussion on how we can continue to push the field of philanthropy toward more equitable and inclusive philosophies of giving. Let’s learn to bring our communities with us, and explore how we can continue to push for diversity and equity in our workplaces. RSVP here!

  • ​Friday, December 8 from 3:30pm - 5:30pm at First Draft Denver (1309 26th Street, Denver, CO 80205)​
Updated 1.16.2024