Campaign for Rhizomatic Growth
Our Campaign to Transform Philanthropy and Empower the Next Generation
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The Purpose of the Campaign
EMA Foundation stands at a pivotal moment. After 23 years of leading with trust-based philanthropy, we are ready to scale our revolutionary approach that is transforming how foundations operate and how social change happens.
The Campaign for Rhizomatic Growth will raise $3-5 million to support EMA's evolution from trust-based to care-based philanthropy, while building on our learnings from the past two years of piloting new strategies that have successfully resulted in multiple layers of impact. This campaign represents more than fundraising—it's an investment in a new paradigm that transforms the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors, creates pathways for emerging youth leaders into the field, invests in impact network building, and leverages storytelling and education to make lasting social change towards equity and belonging.
Why do we integrate rhizome theory into our work?
EMA Foundation is organized as an impact network because the issues our partners address are too complex for any organization to tackle alone. EMA provides equitable access to resources and power to small nonprofit organizations to support their growth and increase their impact in the world. The rhizomatic model—like underground root systems that create interconnected networks of mutual support—represents our mission for how social change organizations can thrive together.
Rhizome: A rootlike, often thickened, and usually horizontal underground plant stem that produces shoots above and roots below (Merriam-Webster); a concept in post-structuralism that describes an assemblage featuring connections between any of its constituent elements, regardless of any predefined ordering, structure, or entry point (Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari).
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Executive Summary
In 2001, Connie Adler inherited an extraordinary opportunity that she never anticipated. Her father, Eugene M. Adler, had established a family foundation in his name in 1959, but ironically never revealed its existence to his family. In a pivotal conversation with her estate attorney after her mother’s passing, Connie recognized that she could create a new kind of foundation to drive meaningful change. She decided to put half of her inheritance into the fund and changed its name to EMA Foundation to de-center family identity and mark a new direction. Over the next 15 years, EMA continued to provide grants to organizations championing equity. Unrestricted grants coupled with trust-based reporting methods became EMA's hallmark. This philosophy created collaborations where organizations had the freedom to innovate, explore, and create lasting impact on their terms.
In 2018, a new chapter began for EMA Foundation as Bill Meyer, a lifelong educator and Connie Adler’s son, stepped into the role of Executive Director. After two years at the helm—as the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation, and racial inequity—Bill’s leadership deepened EMA’s practices from trust-based philanthropy to care-based philanthropy, growing the foundation from one staff to a team of 16, with at least half of the team comprised of youth leaders under the age of 25. By 2024, EMA had evolved into an impact network with ten values-aligned partners dedicated to equity and collective liberation, and its offerings expanded to include organizational capacity-building support, a storytelling platform, and an education strategy to inspire intergenerational changemakers.
With over four years of experimentation and collaboration, EMA—which now stands for Empathy Motivates Action—has successfully completed its start-up phase, demonstrating a proven track record of our innovative strategies creating transformational impacts with our nonprofit partners, our staff, and the broader field as we lead the movement toward care-based philanthropy and champion belonging. EMA continues to evolve through a strategic three-phase vision:
Phase 1 - "Start Up"
Established foundational infrastructure, care-based philanthropy methodology, and youth-led operational capacity while building a network of partners and proven strategies.
Phase 2 - "Build Up"
Codifies practices and expands organizational capacity through diversified revenue streams, enhanced storytelling platforms, and strategic positioning for broader sector impact.
Phase 3 - "Glow Up"
Leads mass adoption of care-based philanthropy across sectors through training services, global technology platforms, educational curricula, and a mature alumni network in leadership positions.
We aim to achieve our stretch goal of $5 million in creative capital to power our transition from Phase 1 “Start Up” to Phase 2 “Build Up.” During this time, EMA will codify our transformational models—building out our strategies for care-based philanthropy, youth leadership, education, technological infrastructure, impact networks, and organizational capacity.
The Imperative for Change
The Opportunity to Transform Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy
The nonprofit sector stands at a pivotal moment for transformation. As leaders seek more sustainable and effective approaches, there's unprecedented opportunity to break free from limiting scarcity mindsets to reimagine philanthropic partnerships. By streamlining funding processes, reducing administrative burdens, and embracing unrestricted multi-year giving models, we can unlock the potential of organizations dedicated to solving our most pressing social challenges. This moment calls for innovative philanthropic leadership approaches that prioritize sustainability, collaboration, and systemic change—creating a stronger, more resilient sector positioned to drive meaningful impact.
Join the movementOur Unique Approach
Over the past two years, EMA Foundation has identified five critical insights that position us to revolutionize philanthropy:
From Trust-Based to Care-Based Philanthropy:
Moving away from transactional relationships to long-term collaborations and centering the well-being of nonprofit leaders and their teams.
Harnessing Youth Power
Young people possess extraordinary capabilities and vision that, when properly channeled, can drive unprecedented impact and equity.
Catalytic Power of Storytelling
Authentic storytelling from impacted communities activates empathy and is a catalyst for lasting cultural and social change.
Revitalizing Education Through Philanthropy
Education is philanthropy's most powerful tool for creating systemic, intergenerational change.
Building an Impact Network
Through a whole-systems lens, we build collective power and wisdom with values-aligned organizations to create systems of equity and belonging.
Our Transformational Model
Care-Based Philanthropy
EMA Foundation embraces care-based philanthropy by recognizing that the true resources are the people and organizations driving social change, requiring support that goes far beyond traditional funding to nurture their well-being and amplify their impact.
The Power of Youth Leadership
With 50% of our staff under 25, EMA Foundation positions youth leadership as essential to organizational success, recognizing young people as co-architects of systemic change informed by their lived experiences and through deep collaborations with our partners.
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The Rhizōma Platform: Technology for Social Change
EMA leverages authentic storytelling as a catalyst for social transformation, creating platforms where underrepresented voices can inspire empathy and drive collective action toward equity. We are developing rhizōma, an innovative communication platform designed to amplify stories directly affected by social issues and systemic challenges, provoke discourse, and inspire collective power building.
Purpose Education
EMA is transforming education by building bridges between learning and real-world purpose, creating meaningful connections that extend far beyond traditional classroom walls. EMA centers student needs, experiences, and agency while empowering teachers to integrate purpose-driven approaches through a collaborative Community of Learners that redefines traditional school structures.
Impact Network
EMA's Impact Network brings together values-aligned organizations working across social issues to tackle complex challenges that no single entity can address alone. By cultivating deep collaboration and trusted relationships, we amplify collective power and impact while building systems of belonging across humanity.
Our Values in Action
We define our values in the form of actions, reflecting the intention to integrate our values into everything we do.
Trust is our deepest value because it is the wellspring that feeds the work of our network. Our formula is simple: We replace transactions with relationships.
Engage informs how we work internally, with our network, and beyond.
Amplify underscores our belief that sharing stories is fundamental to learning/unlearning, community building, and cultivating empathy.
Activate defines our goal for the network and community: to foster collaborations amongst partners that multiply impact, and to bring supporters into the EMA network community not just as donors, but also as empathy-driven actors for equity.
Layers of Impact
When you donate to EMA, it doesn't just fund one program—it creates ripple effects across our entire ecosystem. That donation helps train a young Network Manager who then supports multiple partner organizations, while also contributing to resources shared through rhizōma that reach teachers and learners nationwide. Every dollar donated to EMA supports these interconnected layers of impact that benefit our partners, our young staff, and everyone who uses the resources we build. We believe that empathy motivates actions that cultivate a culture of belonging, and each layer contributes to the growth of a more equitable future for all.
Impact Numbers
Since 2001:
- Nearly 50 organizations have been supported by EMA
- Over $5 million distributed in grants and resources
Current Operations:
- 50% of EMA staff are under 25
- 30+ active projects managed by young Network Managers in 2024
- 100+ hours of leadership coaching shared with partner organizations since 2024
Partner Testimonials
Youth Leader Testimonials
“I manage teams, projects, facilitate meetings, and manage relationships with partners… I feel like I'm capable of learning things on my own, and partners and team members are given a lot of agency and room to dream, to create, to realize our visions.”
Erika Cao
“In my time at EMA, I’ve learned that creating impact is not about following static plans or staying within organizational silos. It’s about fostering connections, trusting the network, and working together across boundaries to navigate complexity and drive meaningful, lasting change.”
Cedrick Gustave
“The mix of trusting myself to be able to do things and knowing that I have the space to learn and grow within EMA has been really helpful…My standards for a place to work have been lifted for the rest of my life. That’s a really big deal for me.”
Anna Crawford
“The environment [at EMA] is really authentic, and it's safe. It's been really safe to learn and also to challenge myself with responsibilities that might have not been given to me in previous experiences… It's super authentic because we all just care about the work, and we care about each other.”
Tracy Tran
Your Investment Powers Transformation
Core Campaign Goal: $3 Million
Stretch Goal: Additional $2 Million
Why Invest Now?
Proven Track Record
Since 2001, EMA has demonstrated consistent impact through our trust-based approach. Our recent evolution toward care-based philanthropy has already shown remarkable results in reducing partner burnout and increasing organizational effectiveness.
Scalable Model
Our youth-powered approach creates a sustainable pipeline of trained professionals who will carry care-based philanthropy principles throughout their careers, multiplying our impact across the sector.
Urgent Need
The nonprofit sector cannot afford to maintain status quo practices. Organizations are failing not because their missions lack merit, but because the systems designed to support them are fundamentally flawed.
Unique Positioning
EMA's combination of educational expertise, youth leadership development, and philanthropic innovation creates an unparalleled opportunity to transform how resources flow to social change organizations.
Join the Movement
The Campaign for Rhizomatic Growth is more than a capital campaign—it's an invitation to participate in the transformation of philanthropy itself. Your investment will:
- Support the development of the next generation of equity champions
- Fund innovative technology that connects and empowers social change organizations
- Help establish new standards for care-based philanthropy
- Create sustainable systems that will benefit countless communities for years to come
Together, we can grow a network of support that mirrors the interconnected strength of rhizomatic systems—where each connection makes the entire network more resilient, more powerful, and more capable of creating lasting change.
For more information about investment opportunities, partnership details, and other types of donations (gift of stock, crypto) please contact Kat Evasco, EMA’s Director of Development and Philanthropic Culture at katevasco@ema-foundation.org