About AEPOCH

Mission

Started in 2006, AEPOCH is a non-profit organization providing funding, fiscal sponsorship and other resources to people, organizations and movements around the world engaged in transformational work to create the conditions for all people and the planet to thrive.

We support those working to:

• amplify the voices, lives, and art of people who have been marginalized;
• create alternatives to current economic, political and social systems of inequality, violence, and environmental degradation;
• support healing and resiliency in individuals, communities, and movements, including healing from societal trauma; and
• illuminate and bring attention to positive social and environmental transformation that is already happening around the world.

We see and support the powerful role that artists, healers and activists play in linking ecological, cultural, economic, and social issues to create viable solutions to our most complex and pressing challenges.

Guiding Principles

Flexibility:

Our mission and strategies are evolving over time. We adapt our processes to meet the needs of particular individuals or communities.

Accessibility:

We recognize and accommodate persons of all physical and intellectual abilities so that people are able to access resources.

Self-reflection:

We strive to be self-reflective and continually reinvent the organization to become more humane, authentic, and accessible.

Empowerment:

We respect the wisdom in communities and support self-determination and empowerment for all people. We support people to trust in themselves, their own inventiveness, and in their power to change.

Collaboration:

We are committed to co-creating, sharing resources, networks, perspectives and information.

Passion:

We invite advisors, partners and staff where it is their passion and in ways that enable them to thrive.

Integrity:

We seek to develop authentic relationships with all constituencies.

Inclusion:

When engaging with other funders, networks and movements, we take a stand for integrity, inclusion and marginalized voices being at the table.

Programs

We made our first grants in November 2006, through the AEPOCH Arts Fund. Since then, we have created several other funding streams. Please note that currently, all grantmaking is done by invitation only. Because we have a part-time staff and rely on community advisors and partners in our grantmaking process, we do not accept unsolicited proposals. Please see the Grants section for more details.

We also provide fiscal sponsorship for a few select projects.

Our Community

AEPOCH is a small, evolving organization. With a part-time staff, most of our work is undertaken by a creative group of advisors and partners. The following people have served as key advisors, grants committee members, consultants and board members:

Alli Chagi-Starr
Amanda Coslor
Benita Kline
Beverly Bell
Bryant Terry
Charlotte Saenz
Coquelicot Gilland
Coumba Toure
Courtney Matson
E. Francis Kohler
Hal Leventhal
John Trudell
Julie Davidson-Gómez
LaDonna Redmond
Lara Barth
Laura Loescher
Leroy F. Moore, Jr.
Meg Dakin
Michael Molina
Miria Toveg
Patty Berne
Pilar Gonzales
Sasha Ronan
Selina Williams
Sobonfu Somé
Terry Miller
Todd Herman
Wil Bullock
Winona LaDuke
Zak Sinclair

Grants management and operational support is provided by Leventhal Kline Management. www.philanthropicadvisor.com

To contact Director Laura Loescher or Grants Manager Benita Kline, please visit the Contact page.