January 2017

Gail Landis to Join the Board

We are extremely pleased that Gail Landis has joined the board as Governance Chair. Gail brings broad expertise to matters of finance, asset management, and non-profit leadership garnered during her 30-year career on Wall Street. Gail serves on a number of boards. She is a Director of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDQ: MORN) sitting on the audit and nominating/governance committees. Gail recently retired as Chair of the board of Pro Mujer International, a non-profit with 2,000 employees that promotes entrepreneurship among women in five Latin American countries. Currently she is also a member of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation Board. Gail will provide invaluable assistance as we refine our operating principles and procedures. Welcome, Gail!

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Grants Review Process in High Gear

Following receipt of 38 applications requesting a total of $633,037, the 14-person Application Review Committee met to winnow the applicant pool to the strongest candidates across all categories: social services, education, arts, recreation, environment, and health. In the next few weeks, grants subcommittees will conduct site visits to the potential finalists so that the most worthy projects can be selected for the final round of voting.

Finalists will present their projects to our membership on March 7th at 1:00 at Light on the Mountains south of Ketchum. The presentations will be live-streamed and recorded so that all voting members can make informed decisions about their priorities for funding.

–Lynne Heidel, Grants Committee Co-Chair

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Don’t Miss the Winter Education Forum, March 1st!

Christine Grumm, guest presenter, will lead a two-hour, interactive workshop on Wednesday, March 1st at the Valley Club, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM. Building on last year’s forum, we will work individually and in groups to understand better how philanthropic activities can lead to positive social change. For members only; cost to participate will be $20.

Chris Grumm was CEO of the Womens Funding Network for 11 years and is a highly regarded workshop leader. Read more about her at www.chrisgrummconsulting.com

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Grantee Spotlight: Little Wood River Library Rehabilitation, $20,000

From Julie Patterson of the Little Wood River Library: “We appreciate so much the funds received from the WRWF! Without them we would not have had the money to repair flooring and walkways. We were so excited to get power in the new building. We now have steps and a handicap ramp into our building! When the flooring and the plumbing are done, we will be ready to put together bookshelves and then we will start the process of moving. We are super excited to start moving and know that it will happen so much sooner because of all of you.”
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Member Spotlight – Pamela Mann

New member, Pamela Mann, is an attorney who practiced law in the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission. She has been coming to Sun Valley with her family for 19 years. Pam currently serves on the Board and is Chair of Development for OnePurpose School, a new charter elementary school in San Francisco’s Bayview district, where 91% of the children live in poverty, 90% of students of color failed the state math and English exams last year, and nearly all have witnessed trauma and violence in their family or community. Remarkable early successes include significant student advances in academic achievement, parent participation, and comprehensive program development aimed at lifting students out of poverty and obtaining post-secondary education.

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Upcoming Events

New Members! The Après Ski Tea will be held on February 16th from 4:00 to 5:30 at Renata Beguin’s home, 581 Paint Brush Lane, Ketchum (Hulen Meadows Area). This is a new member orientation but all members and guests are welcome.

The next Meet & Mingle will be March 8th at Michel’s Christiania on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum, 5:00 – 6:30. All are welcome.

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President’s Closing Statement

Thank you to everyone who renewed her membership in the Wood River Women’s Foundation for the coming year. We estimate that we will have approximately $246,000 to distribute in grants from our pooled fund in 2017! Together we continue to make a major impact on our community through collective giving.

In gratitude,

Joanne Wetherell
President-WRWF