By Lauren Kotkin, Exponent Philanthropy

Most people know the Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys, but have you heard of the Sammies, the “Oscars of government service”?

According to the Partnership for Public Service, the organization that administers the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, the medals are given to “outstanding federal employees who have made a significant difference in the lives of Americans.” It’s fascinating to learn about this year’s Sammie finalists, the work they are doing, and what inspires them to public service.

Given that some 14% of the DC-metro area workforce are federal employees (surprisingly, only the fourth most concentrated of U.S. metro areas), most DC-area residents know at least a person or two who works for the government. I’m not alone in knowing several: a senior grant manager at the IMLS, economist at the ERS, educator at SAAM, statistician at the GAO, attorney at the DOL, managing director at OPIC, and, of course, the familiar face at my neighborhood USPS. It is my own alphabet soup of friends and acquaintances.

At Exponent Philanthropy’s upcoming 2014 National Conference, October 30 – November 1 in Washington, DC, we’ve asked colleagues at Grantmakers for Education, Grantmakers In Health, Grantmakers in the Arts, and Environmental Grantmakers Association (GFE, GIH, GIA, and EGA, respectively – our own philanthropic alphabet soup!) to invite federal colleagues with whom they and their members have emerging or established relationships to join us for topical learning labs on Engaging With Government.

The four topical areas – education, health, arts, and environment – were selected to reflect our members’ top funding interests, according to the 2013 Foundation Operations and Management Report. We look forward to meeting our invited guests from agencies and commissions such as the CDC, DOE, NEA, and EPA.

We increasingly hear calls for cross-sector collaboration, and we’re pleased to provide a forum for philanthropists and government staff to discuss key priorities in common fields of interest and share how each currently works to address priorities and challenges. Participants will explore opportunities to collaborate as both philanthropy and government work toward respective and shared goals.

Learn more about the 2014 National Conference and register

Related posts

Learn With Peers at the 2014 National Conference
What Does It Take to Rebuild a Neighborhood? 2014 National Conference Site Sessions
Walk and Talk Washington’s Past and Present at the 2014 National Conference

Senior Program Director Lauren Kotkin plans a range of educational programs for the Exponent Philanthropy community, including conferences, webinars, and conference calls. She also dedicates a portion of her time to managing our resources on investments. Previously, she worked at the Council on Foundations in the Family Foundation Services department. Lauren holds an undergraduate degree from Duke University and an M.Ed. from Lesley University, with a focus on using arts in education.