March 2017 Newsletter

Inform Yourselves and Vote!

Lynne Heidel, Grants Co-Chair, addressing the gathering; Members listening to presentations by grants finalists

Competition is fierce for the $246,789 we will distribute to non-profits this year. April 7th is the deadline for returning your all-important ballots. If you did not attend the live presentations by the finalists, you can view the recording of those presentations here Grants Presentation Meeting or read the summaries of the applications here Over $10,000 and . Selecting priorities will be difficult, but the more informed we are, the better the outcome of voting is likely to be. Tremendous thanks to the 48 WRWF members who participated in reviewing applications, visiting potential grantees, and selecting the finalists.
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Philanthropy to Improve the Human Condition: Board Leaders Attend Women’s Collective Giving Network

(1) Beth McCaw, President of Washington Women’s Foundation in Seattle; and WRWF’s Kathy
Edwards; Gina Wolcott; Peggy Grove, standing; Laura Midgley and Joanne Wetherall, seated
(2) Peggy Grove and Joanne Wetherell with Keynote Speaker Theresa Younger (center) from Ms. Foundation. The Ms. Foundation was formed by Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine.

We, as women, realize that philanthropy improves the lives of women, and while doing so, also improves that of the human condition. To that end, the Women’s Collective Giving Network hosted the National Leadership Forum 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida this past week. Joanne Wetherell, Peggy Grove, Laura Midgley, Kathy Edwards, and Gina Wolcott attended from WRWF. The presentations were exceptionally varied and covered such topics as “Philanthropy-Driven Social Change” and “Philanthropy to Improve Women’s Lives,” allowing us to see not only the power of collective giving, but also to envision unique ways in which we can better the lives of women, children and all of humanity.

Both Kathy Edwards and Gina Wolcott spoke at the conference and approached the topic of grant making in two different breakout sessions. Laura Midgley also spoke; her topic was “Engaging and Leading Volunteers.” Keynote addresses were given by Jackie Bezos of the Bezos Family Foundation/Amazon, who spoke about elevating the field of education and improving life outcomes for children, and Teresa Younger, leader of the Ms. Foundation, the oldest women’s foundation in the country. Teresa spoke about the Ms. Foundation’s multifaceted work, particularly the “Prosperity Together” program creating pathways to economic opportunity for low-income women and girls.

— Peggy Grove, Vice-President
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Endowment Planning Continues

Our current President, Joanne Wetherell, has invited all past presidents (Jo Murray, Marcia Liebich, Barbara Thrasher, and Janet DeBard) to join the President’s Council. The Council will advise the board on major issues and undertake special projects as requested by the board and agreed to by the Council. The Council will oversee the creation of the Endowment Fund, lead the endowment campaign, and formulate answers to common questions about the rationale behind the endowment and its management.

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Reminder: Please Complete Your Survey from the March 1st Winter Educational Forum

Chris Grumm led an engaging, informative session on “The Power of Purpose” at our 2017 Educational Forum. We can thank our dedicated and fantastic Education Committee, chaired by Esther Ochsman, and Events Committee, chaired by Penny Weiss, by spending three minutes on the follow-up survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y6T6XDG

This seven- question survey should have arrived via email from Survey Monkey. Please check your Junk Mail to make sure it did not end up there. We value your feedback and we use this feedback to plan future education forums. So please take a moment to let us know your thoughts!
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New Member Spotlight

Three new members offered their thoughts when asked why they had joined the WRWF: Carla Cumpston: “Although I have been involved with a number of charitable endeavors in other locations, I look forward to building community in the Sun Valley area. And, it seems like a lot of very nice, welcoming and accomplished women are the community of the WRWF.” Joyce Fabre: “I joined the Wood River Women’s Foundation to learn about the amazing work done by the many non-profits in Blaine County and to be a part of collective giving in our community. It feels good to see our contributions used for specific projects by the grant recipients, and the many new friendships are an added bonus!” Gwen Mellor: “I joined because I believe in the mission of the foundation, and I think it’s a great way for part-time residents to feel more rooted and invested in the community.”

We welcome you all and look forward to knowing you better.
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Member Events

A packed house at the March Meet & Mingle celebrated the end of the grants cycle. In front row: Lisa Nutting Leach, Elizabeth Huish, Debra Rogers Vadalma and Gayle Stevenson

The next Meet & Mingle, to which all are invited, will be April 5th at 5:00 p.m. at Esta’s in the 511 Building in Ketchum. No registration necessary.

Come to the Star Lab demonstration! On Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 4-4:30PM, the Wood River Women’s Foundation 2016 Grant recipient, Hemingway Elementary School Star Lab, is giving our members a special tour and short program to demonstrate the composition and the overall wonder of our solar system. Space is limited so please click the link below for RSVP details Star Lab Tour
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President’s Closing Statement

Here we are, in the midst of our voting process! The month after the grant finalists’ presentations, when our membership carefully considers our priorities for funding in Blaine County, is the high point of the grant-giving cycle. I am extremely grateful, once again, when I reflect on the effort, the hours, and the expertise that have gotten us to this point. Thank you all.

With warmest best wishes,

Joanne Wetherell
President-WRWF