November 2015

President’s Message

Dear Members,

The month of November is Idaho Nonprofit Awareness Month, bringing to the forefront the meaning behind our gifts to nonprofits in the valley. The purpose of Idaho Nonprofit Awareness Month is to promote and highlight the contributions nonprofit organizations make every day in our communities and to share appreciation for their volunteerism and philanthropy. Our gifts to them make possible their innovative projects for the future.

In this month’s News Brief we are featuring three very important nonprofits to which we have granted funding in this past year: National Association of Mental Illness, or NAMI in the Wood River Valley; The Advocates’ Green Dot Program, for prevention of violence and abusive behavior; and Planned Parenthood, for counseling teens about healthy behavior.

Strength. Compassion. Understanding. Their missions stand for the desire to take charge of one’s life or to help others do so. These three grantees are proof of the dynamic enterprise and human consideration intrinsic within the nonprofits we are funding.

Our Grants Committee is in full swing this month, assessing all of the applications coming in to us in the form of the letters of intent as each of these nonprofits apply for a grant from WRWF. It truly is a month of Thanksgiving as we move forward and see the world of possibilities within our new grantee requests.

In gratitude,

Joanne Wetherell

President 

This month we focus on grantees whose mission involves education and empowerment.

Grantee Spotlight: The Advocates, Green Dot Bystander Intervention, $20,000. 

The Advocates’ Green Dot Bystander Intervention program will continue with trainings in the high schools and middle schools, a social marketing campaign, community-wide workshop, and an expansion of The Advocates’ website to include an interactive Green Dot element.

From Heidi Cook, Violence Prevention Educator: “The WRWF grant helped provide full Green Dot training for over 360 high school students. The Green Dot program teaches students that for every act of violence–bullying, sexual assault, stalking, or dating abuse–there is a moment when someone can step in to stop it. It teaches bystanders how to watch out for each other by recognizing when someone is in trouble and empower them with safe, effective ways to intervene. We discuss ways to promote conversations and actions that say violence is not okay and everyone is expected to do his or her part.

No one has to do everything but everyone has to do something. Thanks to the WRWF grant, we are reducing the number of people being hurt in our community and teaching people of all ages how to build and maintain healthy relationships.”

Advocates’ Green Dot, “Every Teen Has a Choice” (ETC) Group

Grantee Spotlight: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Wood River Valley,  $20,000

Two projects are the focus of this grant to NAMI-WRV. Comprehensive Crisis Intervention Training will be provided to first responders in collaboration with local law enforcement and mental health providers to enable EMTs and police to adequately assess situations involving the mentally ill. In addition, a portion of the funds will be used to establish a peer support group in the Blaine County jail to better assist those with mental illness in coping with incarceration and re-entry into society after release.

From Carla Young, Executive Administrator, by interview: “Because there are so few services or facilities in our valley that provide therapy or support to individuals with mental illness, people who may be having a psychiatric crisis often end up in jails, hospitals, or emergency rooms. With training, however, first responders (law enforcement officers, EMTs) are much more likely to recognize mental health issues and respond constructively. With the WRWF grant, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) will reach and educate law enforcement and emergency responders throughout the valley. We are extremely grateful for your support.”

 
Grantee Spotlight: Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, Wood River Valley Teen Council Peer Education, $25,000

The Wood River Valley Teen Council Peer Education trains a group of 5 to 10 teens to be able to deliver presentations to their peers and to community groups and to provide confidential resource to their peers. They are trained to deliver medically accurate sexual health information to reduce teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. In the process these teens gain leadership experience in their community.

From Katie Nosworthy, Community Outreach Educator: “We are so thankful for the continued support of the Wood River Women’s Foundation.  Because of your most recent grant, our Teen Council program has grown from five students and one high school to nine students from two area high schools. This year, Teen Council members have already taught younger students about puberty and healthy relationships through the I Have a Dream Foundation and are providing medically accurate and non-biased health information to their peers in informal one-on-one settings.  It has been inspiring to watch these nine young women transform into confident, knowledgeable public speakers and resources for their peers and to see their confidence grow with each Teen Council meeting. The need for this program in this community is clear and, with the support of our community partners, it will continue to grow and give area teens the essential information and skills they need to stay healthy.”

PP Community Outreach Teen Councilors with Katie Noseworthy

Membership Committee News

We hosted a lively Meet and Mingle event for dozens of members on Thursday, November 12^th, at the Town Tavern in Ketchum. We hope to see many more of you at the December social gathering. All are welcome; come and see old friends and make new ones!

Lisa Leach, new Co- Coordinator of our Mentor Program with Debra Vadalma

New members Sally Jarvis, Cate Cox with Gayle Stevenson

WRWF Members in the Spotlight

Mary Ann Chubb (BMC), Jane Williams, Joanne Wetherell, Julie Brewer, Peggy Grove, and Marie Gallo made bowls at Boulder Mountain Clayworks for the Hunger Coalition soup luncheon fundraiser.

Finding Your Philanthropic Passion

Becoming an Intentional Philanthropist

Janet Boguch, Principal, Non-Profit Works, Seattle

Janet is a dynamic speaker and experienced nonprofit consultant who will talk about cutting-edge trends in philanthropy.  Then, through activities, we will discover and reflect on our own values, which is essential to becoming strategic and intentional philanthropists.