November 2023 News Brief
Grants Spotlight
WOOD RIVER LEGACY SOFTBALL
Empowering Young Girls Through Sports
Wood River Legacy Softball, a beacon in the local sports community, has been instrumental in providing opportunities for girls aged 14-16 to engage in softball. Recognizing the concerning trend that girls leave sports at twice the rate of boys in this age group, the organization is committed to reversing this by fostering strength, unity, and leadership among young women.
Building Tomorrow’s Leaders
With a generous grant of $2,200 from the Wood River Women’s Foundation, matched by an additional donation of $7,000 from a WRWF member, Wood River Legacy Softball has made significant strides. These funds have facilitated the construction of a dedicated equipment shed at Founders Field, creating a permanent home for the team’s gear. This development marks a significant step, especially as softball and baseball in the region have evolved under separate banners.
Nurturing Growth and Community
The organization’s current initiatives focus on growing the sport within the Wood River Valley and nurturing strong, confident young women. By offering scholarships and subsidizing costs for tournaments, including lodging expenses, they are actively working towards keeping the teams united and supportive of each other.
The annual tournament hosted by the organization is more than just a sporting event; it brings nearly 400 people to the valley, contributing significantly to the local economy. More than that, it’s an opportunity for these young athletes to learn invaluable life skills like teamwork, camaraderie, and resilience.
A Community Effort
Wood River Legacy Softball’s role transcends sports; it’s about shaping community leaders and instilling strength and determination in young girls. Many of these athletes are junior philanthropists, actively participating in community service and fundraising, showcasing their commitment to their community and personal growth.
We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of the Wood River Women’s Foundation. Your contributions are not just aiding a sports program; they are investing in the future leaders of our community.
Members in the News
committee corner
vp of operations – dianne tibbs johnson
The Vice President – Operations, is responsible for overseeing the administration of WRWF including the coordination of committee work and the strategic plan of the organization. The VP-Operations is recommended by the WRWF Board President and voted on annually by membership. The current VP-Operations is Dianne Tibbs Johnson. Dianne has served in this role since mid-2022 and has served on the WRWF Board since 2021.
One of the most important roles of the VP-Operations is working with each committee to review and update the team’s processes and procedures to ensure operational excellence, and to identify areas to increase efficiencies. With the new efficiencies implemented in last year’s grant cycle, it’s key to our success as an organization to continue to review the adjustments and examine what went well as well as what we can continue to improve upon. Heading into the New Year, Dianne is eager to jump in and collaborate with members across all the committees to identify best practices, document procedures, and meet operational goals.
Any members interested in more information regarding the work of the VP-Operations please contact Dianne Tibbs Johnson at dianne.tibbs@gmail.com for further information.
Upcoming Events
Holiday Gathering – Mark your calendars for Dec. 19th and get ready to have some fun as we gather to celebrate another year of supporting our community through our grants to local nonprofits. Feel free to bring a friend or potential new member. The more the merrier!
Join the Education Committee on Monday, December 4th at 4 pm for a Zoom discussion and question and answer period with Sarah Seppa, Director of Community Engagement at Saint Luke’s. Sarah will be presenting the findings from the recent Wood River Valley Community Health Needs Assessment.
Contact WRWF member, Lucinda Chapman, with any questions. Lucinda will be the moderator from the Education Committee for this Zoom meeting. Her email is mttam1@hotmail.com.
Committee corner
VP Leadership LeeAnne Linderman
The WRWF Vice President-Leadership works closely with the President and the Board of Directors to create and manage the various leadership-related programs. These include working with the outgoing President to ensure a smooth handover of presidential responsibilities during times of transition, on-boarding new Board Members, and overseeing the WRWF Leadership Development Program. The VP-Leadership has the responsibility of overseeing the work to ensure that interested members are recruited and developed to fill leadership roles including Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs, and our Board Members. In addition, she chairs the Nominating Committee bringing all interested leadership applicants to the Board for approval.
It is a fun and rewarding role that provides an opportunity to affect the future of WRWF while learning the details of running the organization, better understanding the impact we provide in the community, meeting community nonprofit leaders, working with talented and committed women philanthropists and having the ability to continue to grow the organization through both short- and long-term planning.
UPCOMING EVENT
2023 annual meeting
2023 Annual Meeting
Please join us for the WRWF signature celebratory event
The Annual Meeting & Grantee Celebration
Wednesday, August 2nd from 4:00-6:00 pm
4:00 Mingling, Drinks, Bites & Photo Scavenger Hunting
4:30 Welcome, Voting Results & Guest Speaker Sarah Sentilles, Award-Winning Author
5:00 Grantee Recognition
5:15+ After-Party Mingling and Revelry with DJ Alex
Attendees will be chauffeured to the venue from the Sun Valley Event Parking Lot (unpaved lot across from Pavilion) by bus at 3:50 and 4:00. Please be ready to catch the bus by 3:45. Buses will return to the parking lot as requested throughout the afternoon, and the last bus will depart the venue just after 6:00.
$60 per person – RSVP here by Wednesday, July 26
Legacy Giving Information Session
Our Legacy Giving Information Session will be hosted by the
WRWF President’s Council on
Wednesday, August 23 from 3:30-5:00 pm
in the Lecture Hall at the Community Library in Ketchum.
Kris Kamann, Idaho Community Foundation’s (ICF) Senior Philanthropic Advisor will be our guest presenter to discuss overall Legacy Giving and answer questions.
This session will also be streamed live for those who cannot attend in person.
Calendar
event recap
Advocates field trip!
Our field trip to The Advocates was a great learning experience. Shannon Nichols, Ana Villanueva and Trisha Swartling explained the many services & programs they provide, along with ways one can lend support. It was very eye-opening to hear about the many situations one doesn’t always see living here.
Our 2023 grant helped fund hiring Ana, who is the youth coordinator. She is dynamic, very knowledgeable in her work, and fun!
If you would like to help with immediate needs, warm women’s COATS and children’s winter CLOTHING and non-perishable FOOD items are a big need.
Last year their Crisis Shelter occupancy was up 88%.
new members
We are delighted to extend a warm WRWF welcome this month to:
New WRWF members are invited to provide photos and a bit of information about themselves to share in the News Brief. We have so many interesting members and it is fun to read about everyone’s background. Thanks so much and we look forward to meeting you soon. Welcome!
New Member Spotlight
caroline wilding
The Wood River Women’s Foundation is delighted to welcome Caroline Wilding as a new member. Relocating from Golden, Colorado to the Wood River Valley, Caroline brings her unique experience as an Architect and Interior Designer as the owner of Construct Design/Architecture. Her enthusiasm for community involvement shines through her eagerness to join our grants committee and belief in the collective power of women.
Caroline’s passion for the outdoors, including hiking, nordic skiing, and pilates, complements her culinary interest in cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Introduced to us by Joy Prudek, Caroline is a wonderful addition to our foundation, embodying the spirit of collaboration and community engagement.
Join us in warmly welcoming Caroline to our community, where her skills and dedication will undoubtedly contribute to our mission of making meaningful impacts.
the gift of resilience
WRWF’s Restricted Endowment: A Grateful Embrace of Sustainable Impact
WRWF’s Restricted Endowment, fueled by the generosity of our members, has emerged as a critical factor in the sustainability of our foundation.
We are deeply grateful for the many members whose endowment contributions enhance our financial flexibility and fortify our organizational resilience. Endowed with such stability, WRWF can undertake long term planning and navigate unforeseen challenges with grace, and remain steadfastly focused on delivering our mission.
Currently, the value of our Restricted Endowment is about $1 million. To date in 2023, members have donated close to $50,000 to this fund ensuring WRWF’s ongoing sustainability and operational innovation. We are honored to acknowledge the enduring impact made possible by the gifts of our endowment donors. Thank You!
With WRWF gratitude,
President, Sandy McCullough
Past Presidents, Barbara Thrasher, Marcia Liebich, Jan DeBard, Joanne Wetherell, Peggy Grove, Terri Bullock
If you would like to make a year-end gift to WRWF’s Restricted Endowment, follow this link https://woodriverwomensfoundation.org/endowment-fund/ or email the office at info@woodriverwomensfoundation.org. Detailed information about our Endowment is also located at this link.
annual renewal reminder
It’s time to renew if you haven’t already
Thank you for being committed to supporting WRWF’s nonprofit partners across Blaine County! We are honored to contribute to the work they do to ensure a healthy and vibrant community. Our next grant cycle will be WRWF’s 19th year of generous women pooling our funds to meet our mission – we hope you will be part of it
This year we have onboarded a new membership management platform and you will see something a bit different when you click this link to renew.
To begin the renewal process, click the “member renewal” button. You will be asked to “login” to the website. If you haven’t done this since the switch to the new website in August, please click “forgot your password” and put in your email address currently associated with your WRWF account. You will receive an email that details further instructions. Now you are ready to fill out the form on the membership renewal webpage!
These transitions are always a bit tricky and we appreciate your patience as we smooth out any hiccups. If you prefer to renew by check or DAF, there is a button to “Pay Later” that will capture your information in the new software system and allow you to mail the check in separately. If you just want to mail a check in that’s fine too, just send it to P.O. Box 3686, Ketchum, Idaho 83340.
If you have any questions while working your way through the form, please don’t hesitate to email the office for help at info@woodriverwomensfoundation.org – we welcome your questions.
If you have already received a renewal email and completed your renewal – thank you! If not, please renew at your earliest convenience and no later than November 15 so we can ensure we are ready to meet the next batch of grant requests from our non-profit community.
With Gratitude, your fellow members on the WRWF Board.
Calling all WRWF members! We’re here to remind you about our new membership initiative program “BFF! – Bring Forth Friends!”
If two new members join WRWF under your encouragement, you will be thanked for your recruitment efforts with either a $25 coffee card or a bottle of wine. This is an opportunity to continue growing and strengthening our collective membership through your personal and unique networks. Remember, there is no limit to how many rewards you can receive in a year. Be sure your BFFs give you credit when they join so we can track your success towards a reward!
The starting date for BFF! is retroactively set to January 1, 2023. Keep spreading the word about WRWF and our mission!
This reward is being underwritten by a generous WRWF member.
job opening
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR
The Wood River Women’s Foundation office is busy! If you know anyone who is proficient with technology wants to make a positive impact on our community, and is interested in a part-time year-round job, please refer them to us.
INTRODUCING “WOWIES”
a new volunteer recognition program
At the Wood River Women’s Foundation, it is truly our volunteers who make it all happen! Our fun social gatherings, our thought provoking Field Trips, our Educational Events like State of the Valley, this Newsbrief that you are reading, our Financial Management, our Operations, our Grants cycle and so much more!
In this week of gratitude, we’d like to begin a program of recognition for our member volunteers – to shine a light on their giving to make our Community and Giving Circle the best it can be.
Introducing the “Wowies” – recognizing those volunteers who go the extra mile for our organization or community, those volunteers who selflessly give their time and their bounty to help the WRWF serve our mission.
Here is where you come in – please nominate a member who you believe deserves recognition along one of these dimensions by sending their name and a brief reason why you are nominating them. Awards will be announced at our Holiday Gathering.
Submit your 250 word (max) nominations to: wrwfcomms@gmail.com
THANK YOU, Sponsors!
We are grateful for our sponsors and extend a hearty WRWF thank you to Graybird Foundation, and Zions Bank!
THANK YOU TO OUR contributors
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