IWCF Summer 2020 Newsletter

Letter from the President:

Caring for Ourselves, our Organization, and our Community

Christine Avey
President

As I sit down to write this letter, I reflect on what stories we would typically share in our summer newsletter, and how the changes in the world have impacted IWCF and our members. The summer of 2020 has slowly unraveled to be as far from normal as any of us could ever have imagined. One of the biggest challenges is living with this uncertainty of when life will shift back towards ‘normal,’ with the knowledge that many people and organizations are already forever changed.

As philanthropists we hope our giving will improve the wellbeing of others by giving to organizations and/or causes that work to solve social challenges. Our call to action is now more crucial than ever. Philanthropy brings people together and supports the human spirit though generosity and acts of kindness. We support community and connection. During these uncertain times, these acts give us hope for the future.

To be our most effective philanthropists, we need to remember the importance of self-care so that we have the strength to pay attention to and support the needs of our community even as we wholly feel the struggles of today. I have felt the full range of emotions these last months: fear & fortitude, sadness & gratitude, overwhelm & hope. Simple moments that create connection, joy, and even escape have been vital for me. Personally, I have found fulfillment, grounding, and reconnection with the world by spending hours each day hiking in the Boise foothills—listening to the quiet, absorbing the miracles of nature, and seeing others who are also finding solice through the trails (including several of our members!). For others, those moments occur through reading, gardening, exercising, safely connecting with friends & family, caring for pets, enjoying the arts, or what else may spark joy. Cultivate your inner peace through self-care during this time. We need our strength!

The IWCF leadership team is working diligently to care for the health of our organization. Finance is ensuring we remain fiscally sound. The Grants teams are updating and improving our grants application for the upcoming year utilizing a new grants management tool to simplify the process for our applicants and evaluators. The Education, Membership, and Events committees are creatively thinking of new ways to bring members together virtually, while redesigning the calendar for the remainder of 2020. Marketing is sending frequent communications to ensure our members stay informed. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team is creating a plan for the year to offer up new learning and growth opportunities. Our staff continually keep daily operations up and running.

IWCF is strong because of members like you and we hope you continue along with us on this journey into the coming year. We know economic times are uncertain, so we are re-opening our membership payment plan option in August so that you can renew over six months. We will always remain true to our core mission of collective giving and educated philanthropy as we evolve to address current needs in the changing world.

With a healthy self and a healthy organization, we can provide support by means of grants to nonprofit organizations and ensure their ongoing health as well. We are all intertwined; the community depends on our wellbeing!

So, members, please take care of yourselves. Feed your soul by caring for yourselves and those around you. For our members who have been directly impacted by COVID-19, please know we are sending you our strength and best wishes of healing for you and your loved ones.

GRANTS

A Big Impact on a Small Boy

Last year, Opera Idaho purchased a van with a $30,000 grant from IWCF. The van was wrapped with custom artwork, including the IWCF logo, and was quickly put to use for school outreach performances. Recently, the mother of a student visited by Opera Idaho shared the impact the van had on her family.

Before coronavirus, Opera Idaho visited my son’s school. He is in the gifted program and his teacher reached out after to tell me just how taken he had been with the performance. I wasn’t surprised to hear it, but despite being a theatre major I really knew nothing of opera.

When the quarantine went into place, I saw that the Met was offering free streams of their operas everyday and thought my son would be interested in watching. I was correct. And that’s how we started falling in love with opera. Since then, I’ve taken a Harvard class online and we’re both participating in a global opera summer camp.

My son has struggled with processing big emotions for a while now and I am truly amazed by how cathartic opera has been. Providing space for those big emotions to exist without shame (and in fact, with praise) has been life changing for us both.

The world is crazy and I hope that we can one day become supporters of our local opera. It can be hard operating in a vacuum and I just wanted to make sure you knew how much impact you really have on your community.

Thank you,
Laura F.

IWCF Members Give Big Once Again

By Jen Sampson, Grants Chair

2020 has been a very different year for IWCF. While many things have had to change, one that has not is our commitment to making a difference in our community. Through our pooled fund giving, IWCF awarded grants totaling $215,816 to seven local nonprofits. We funded grants in all six of our interest areas (Arts, Education, Environment, Financial Stability, Health, and Rural Communities) plus a second grant in Financial Stability. Our 2020 grantees provide services in Ada, Adams, Elmore, Canyon, Gem, and Valley counties. In addition to the seven winners, each of IWCF’s ballot runner-ups received a $1,000 contribution to their organization.

We started our grants cycle this past winter like any normal year. We received 59 grant proposals and met in person to evaluate them. After thorough vetting and review, twelve proposals were presented on the spring ballot and we ended the grants cycle with our annual Q&A sessions completely virtual. Although we haven’t been able to meet with our grant recipients in person this year, all have received their first check and are able to begin their projects.

Click on the name of each grant recipient to visit their website and learn more.

Boise Bicycle Project ($27,500)

Project Kickstand will complete a comprehensive satellite bike shop at the Idaho Department of Corrections men’s facility and create and implement a certified bicycle mechanic training program for inmates. The program will provide vocational training and potential job placement for inmates and the bicycles serviced at the IDOC will be distributed to teens.

McCall Music Society ($26,000)

Outside of the McCall Youth Orchestra, there are limited music programs available for rural youth in Valley and Adams counties. The McCall Music Society will use this grant to purchase additional instruments, underwrite strings instruction, and expand the current program to connect with students beginning as early as elementary school.

Cascade Medical Center ($30,000)

The Cascade area has a shortage of mental health professionals and a steadily increasing patient load. Cascade Medical Center proposes to add a behavioral health physician assistant (PA) to the staff, which will greatly improve health outcomes in the community, address the greater demand for CMC services, and allow them to meet the behavioral health needs of their patients.

Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children ($51,981)

The IWCF grant will be used to expand the READY! for Kindergarten initiative that offers parent education workshops to families with children ages birth through five. Funds will be used to expand the program to reach families in Marsing, Notus, Melba, Mountain Home, and Emmett.

Idaho Botanical Garden ($20,335)

Grant funds from IWCF will be used for a Water Conservation Stewardship Initiative to upgrade the irrigation systems at the Idaho Botanical Garden and create tools such as water flow meters, soil sensors, and an irrigation exhibit to inform the public about water-efficient irrigation practices for residents and business owners. By learning how to manage water flow and seeing water-efficient plants that grow well, the Garden hopes community members will reduce their water use in the Valley.

LEAP Charities ($25,000)

LEAP Charities was created to support those unable to access stable and affordable homes by providing them with the knowledge, encouragement, and connections needed to overcome these barriers and purchase their first home. After two years, LEAP is ready to expand their “Yes You Can” Home Ownership for All Program. Funds from IWCF will support interpreters for education classes and lender meetings, provide supplies such as moving boxes and truck rentals, and create marketing materials to let those who need their services know LEAP is ready to help!

Wassmuth Center for Human Rights ($30,000)

Research shows one in ever five students report being bullied but school-based bullying prevention programs decrease bullying by up to 25%. The Wassmuth Center for Human Rights will use IWCF funds to create a “Be an Upstander” toolkit which will utilize print and video to give students from the 5th through the 10th grade the tools and “prompts” they need to be an upstander—one who knows what’s happening is wrong and does something to make things right—versus a bystander.

MEMBERSHIP

COVID-19 and the Nonprofit Community

By Kelli Parker, Marketing Committee

There are few places in the world today that have not felt the physical, emotional, and economic effects of COVID-19. Idaho is no exception. In May, Kelli Parker sat down with the President and CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center and fellow IWCF member, Amy Little, to discuss the current impact of Coronavirus on the nonprofit community as well as any concerns for the future.

Amy Little
President & CEO, Idaho Nonprofit Center

KELLI: I read that the conversations around nonprofits have moved from sustainability to survivability. Do you believe that to be true?

AMY: Yes and no. Some nonprofits are better resourced and have money in the bank. Some of the larger organizations have diversified income sources, investments, interest bearing accounts, and run more like a business. Those organizations are in a better sustainability position than others.

Some nonprofits, however, operate paycheck to paycheck and those organizations struggled with sustainability to begin with. When something like COVID happens, it can have devastating consequences.

There are medium sized organizations, like the Idaho Nonprofit Center, that have operating expenses in the bank, roughly 15.5 months in liquid cash, so the challenge is only in that there is no defined length of time for when the pandemic will end. The greater the length of time this goes on, the greater the challenge in remaining sustainable. Even if you have money in the bank now, as revenue streams decline and service demands increase, you’ll dip into your reserves pretty quickly.

KELLI: Is length of time the only risk and uncertainty our nonprofits are facing?

AMY: There is also the issue of another resurgence where everyone would have to shut down again. That’s a big risk. If the economy shuts down it affects everyone.

KELLI: Have you ever witnessed similar times of uncertainties?

AMY: I served as the CEO of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce from 2007-2010 right in the heart of another economic downturn. What we saw during that time isn’t exactly the same as what we are seeing with COVID but in any crisis things are magnified in small rural areas. It is heartbreaking to watch someone’s business die. Equally heartbreaking to see nonprofits who support our community and provide our quality of life struggling to stay open.

KELLI: What are some of the things you learned during that time?

AMY: The big lesson was to make sure you serve in the way your donors, sponsors, and clients want and need to be served. We were always trying to look to those we were serving for their input. We implemented a survey around membership and built programs around what they told us they needed. We are doing the same thing at the Idaho Nonprofit Center.

It’s Development 101. Figure out how to engage your supporters, which is difficult now because you can’t exactly give someone a tour. It’s about stewardship of donors, sponsors, and clients. It’s about continuous improvement. We have to always assess our work and listen to feedback.

KELLI: That is a great lesson. Shifting gears a bit, I’m curious if you see any positives coming out of this?

AMY: Positives are really all I see. There are always challenges. Being in the nonprofit sector is a challenge but there are so many beautiful examples of community collaboration and partnerships. It’s at an all time high.

We partnered with the Idaho Community Foundation and United Way of Treasure Valley to establish the COVID-19 Response Fund for Idaho.

The Idaho Food Bank, along with Create Common Good and Our Path Home, came together and figured out how to combine efforts for a greater impact.

We have found new ways to engage in doing business. Had we hosted a zoom meeting a year ago, engagement and participation would have been low.

I’m grateful to be home with my family, knowing they are safe and we’re all together. I’m grateful life has slowed down a bit.

Idaho Gives raised almost $4 million dollars in two weeks. We couldn’t believe it! There are a lot of generous people; Idahoans are some of the most generous people there are.

KELLI: I’ve always believed that to be true. It’s one of the many things I love about Idaho.

Well, we’re almost to the end and since this article is for our IWCF Members, is there anything you think IWCF and members can do during this time?

AMY: It’s super challenging, but roll up your sleeves and volunteer if you can. Find organizations that speak to you and leverage any resource you can to help them.

The IWCF Grant program is so important. Like the COVID Relief Fund, people pooling funds proves to be powerful, and that is what IWCF does.

KELLI: Amy, it has been an absolute pleasure talking with you but before I close, is there anything else you would like to add?

AMY: When the first COVID case was announced we determined that we would intentionally position ourselves to be the calm in the storm. We want to provide the resources and training our nonprofits need, advocate on their behalf, and find every opportunity to lift them up. Our team felt a renewed sense of purpose around our mission. I’m proud of my team for being creative and nimble as we reinvent ourselves on almost a daily basis to provide the training and resources needed at any given moment.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to our nonprofit leaders everywhere. They do a lot with very little and they deserve a ton of credit. I think there are some misconceptions about the nonprofit sector. It’s important to me that I share that the nonprofit leaders who support our community are some of the most business savvy, creative, financial wizards with wicked good problem solving skills in the world today. They are the best of the best and the nonprofit sector is lucky to have them.

The Idaho Nonprofits Center’s mission is to educate, advocate, and collaborate in support of stronger nonprofits and is currently representing more than 6,000 registered charitable organizations. For more information on the Idaho Nonprofit Center visit www.idahononprofits.org.

Amy and Kelli have both been members of IWCF since 2017.

Members Serving Members

by Linda Riley, Membership Chair

When our members are asked why they are involved with IWCF, two answers top the list: 1) because it is a way to impact community needs in a meaningful way, and 2) because it is a way to meet other community-minded citizens and form friendships. These current times have underscored the point that it is just as important for us to take care of one another as it is to take care of our community. The isolation and limits on regular life have touched us in various ways and it is important that we stay connected as best we can.

Recently, we surveyed our 400+ members to learn how to best engage with you and where your interests lie. You were most interested in hearing from our grantees and educational topics. You are also interested in socializing. Most are open to gathering virtually*, so we have a few offerings coming soon:

Grants Panel: 2020! What’s Happening?
Tuesday, Aug. 11; 11:30 a.m.

A candid conversation with IWCF grant recipients.

Annual Meeting and Anniversary Celebration
Tuesday, Sept. 15; 7:30 p.m.
While virtual this year, we will still hear from our most recent grant recipients and celebrate members who have reached key milestones.

Feeding the Hungry: Food Insecurity in the Treasure Valley
Wednesday, Sept. 30; 11:30 a.m.
An educational panel on the exacerbated problem of food insecurity at both the local and national level.

The DEI committee is also planning virtual events starting in August, and the Education committee will have a couple in the fall. Dates will be announced shortly.

Several members have indicated that they would be interested in getting together in smaller groups. We are exploring this possibility while keeping an eye on the COVID-19 happenings and guidance provided by local leadership. Please stay tuned as we hope to start these as soon as we can do it responsibly!

Finally, in order to assist members, we are bringing back the six-month payment plan. Members will have the option to pay in $200 increments beginning in August so that their membership payment will be paid in full by January 31. If you are interested in using this option, please contact the office.

We will continue to explore more ways to connect and appreciate the suggestions we have received. If you have any ideas, please send me an email at elmer9999@gmail.com. We welcome your input!

*A few members have requested help getting set up to participate in virtual meetings. Click here for a document with brief instructions and helpful resources on how to use Zoom or, if you would like additional assistance, please contact the office.

Welcome to IWCF!
IWCF is excited to welcome the following new Blue Ribbon members. Thank you for joining our mission!

Lydia Bassett
Anne Corcoran Briggs
Lacey Cline
Nancy DeMauro
Ken Elliott
Claire Hendrix
Carolyn Kiefer
Joan Mattern – In loving memory of two amazing women: Mary & Carmelina! (Mothers of Joan and Frank)
Denise McClure
Hannah Murphy
Christine Tiddens

Thank you!

Kris Erne and Brenda Blitman for a decade of helping IWCF prepare our 990 tax return! Wow!

EDUCATION

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Matters

By Nicole Patterson, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair

There is only one way to look at things until someone shows us how to look at them with different eyes.
~Pablo Picasso

The last several months have been filled with opportunities to look at things differently. Quarantine has challenged me to rethink mundane things—like grocery shopping and my calendar—and bigger things—how grateful I am for my health, safety in my home and the Treasure Valley community, my work, and time with my family. After 100+ days of sheltering in place, it’s tempting to sit comfortably on autopilot and observe the world around me. I could just watch the news on TV and in my social media feeds. The world and what’s happening in it could be “out there” beyond me, and I could just remain safe and comfortable in my bubble.

Photo courtesy of Whitney Platina

Yet, as a human being committed to the “philanthropic consciousness” of IWCF’s vision, how can I just sit back and watch? Our country’s focus has shifted from the fear of a pandemic to anger, hatred, and violence erupting from the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. Though it’s comfortable to pretend racism, systemic bias, and inequity are “out there” and don’t affect me as a white, middle-class woman in Boise, I can’t deny what my eyes see. Our fellow Americans live in fear and are marginalized and “othered” everyday in their community, by their community. My heart grieves. I find myself asking, “What can I do? What can we do?”

In September 2001, the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation was founded by a group of women with a clear vision that together they could make a significant difference in our community. Twenty years later, we are more than 400 members and have funded 108 pooled-fund grants totaling more than $2.5M. We have also gifted more than $2.3M in individual grants to 500+ nonprofit organizations. The IWCF Model of Giving has shown us how to look with different eyes at the possibility of a better Southwestern Idaho and take action to make it a reality. I am profoundly grateful to be a part of IWCF where, when we collaborate, we foster meaningful impact.

In the fall of 2017, Suzanne Groff Lierz convened a group of women passionate to explore diversity and inclusion in IWCF, both for our members and in our work as philanthropists. With humility, the women began their individual and collective journeys to learn more about bias, belonging, and culture and began to see our work through a different lens. They developed IWCF’s Diversity and Inclusion statement, which highlights the value of each unique member and recognizes that we are better because of our differences.

IWCF believes diversity encompasses the whole human experience: gender, race, culture, education, personality, skills, life experiences, and more. It is everything in each person’s life experience that results in unique perspectives and equips us to meet our mission. Inclusion is the critical link that enables our diverse membership to come to life, helping to unleash the power of our differences. Fostering a culture within IWCF that actively seeks and celebrates diverse backgrounds will help us to better understand, connect with, and serve our community.

According to IWCF’s 2019 Cultural Climate Survey, our members feel good about IWCF’s culture and 96% of respondents want us to continue improving IWCF’s diversity and inclusion.

In May 2020, the IWCF board and members voted to transition the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) work group to a formal IWCF committee and create a leadership position on our board to support this work. Suzanne’s vision and leadership demonstrated the critical need to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work as philanthropists. The DEI committee’s role is to support the work of all IWCF’s committees and members as we deepen our understanding of these concepts and leverage them to have an even greater impact on our community.

The recent events in our country have galvanized our organization’s commitment to addressing unconscious and systemic bias within our walls and our community. This fall, we will launch an Unconscious Bias for Conscious Philanthropists Workshop, an opportunity to explore our individual unconscious bias. (Spoiler alert: We all have unconscious bias and don’t need to be ashamed or feel guilty. Instead we can learn to better recognize it and dismantle it!) Through this training, we can find ways to reduce its negative impact and take action to address bias in our communities. We are excited to have all IWCF members join us on the journey of exploring our individual unconscious bias and what we can do—as individuals and collectively—to promote inclusion and equity, and reduce systemic bias.

At the heart of our work as philanthropists is a belief that each one of us can and should strive to positively impact the lives of people and our communities. It is our privilege to do this work and we are inspired by our IWCF values: Philanthropy, Education, Inclusiveness, Collaboration, and Significant Pooled Giving. We can lean-in to the discomfort of seeing a new perspective. We can continue learning about diversity, inclusion, systemic bias, and the need for equity. We can look at those in our community and see their perspective through a different lens. We can listen with curiosity and without judgment. As philanthropists, we can leverage the collective impact of our IWCF membership and use our giving to transform our community. The word “philanthropy” comes from the Greek words philia (love) and anthrōpos (humanity). Let us use our calling, as philanthropists, to love. And let us do that, together.

IWCF Summer Reading List

Curated by the IWCF Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

Recently, some members on the IWCF Marketing and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committees realized many of us had newfound time to read and were looking for titles to add to our personal “reading [or watching or listening] list.” The following list was curated with three of IWCF’s core values in mind: Philanthropy, Education, and Inclusion. Happy reading, [watching, and listening]!

To read a short synopsis of each item, click here.

Articles

Trends in Northwest Giving, 2019.
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. Published 1989; reprinted 2009.
The 1619 Project

Podcasts, Films & Short Videos

Teach Girls Bravery, not Perfection [TED Talk] by Reshma Saujani.
The Hidden Brain [Podcast]: The Air We Breathe: Implicit Bias and Police Shootings. June 12, 2020.
Inflection Point with Lauren Schiller [Podcast]: More than Power Poses. June 24, 2020.
Overcoming Racial Bias in Funding [Webinar] hosted by Stanford Social Innovation Review [SSIR]. June 2020.
Just Mercy [film]. Dec 2019; Book, Aug 2015.

Books: Fiction

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Mar 2014.

Books: Non-fiction

Do More Than Give by Leslie Crutchfield, John Kania, and Mark Kramer. Mar 2011.
The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist. Mar 2017.
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gate. Apr 2019.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Sept 2019.
Educated by Tara Westover. Feb 2018.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Mar 2020.

Children’s Books

Heart and Soul: The Story of American and African Americans by Kadir Nelson. Dec 2013.

Building a “Leaderful” Organization

Laura Simic, Leadership Development Committee Chair

Building a “leaderful” organization was the topic of the May 12 webinar by Philanos to help groups such as IWCF develop leadership capacity throughout the organization. Philanos (formerly Catalist) is a national network that supports the creation, development, and expansion of collective giving groups. With 78 member organizations comprising more than 17,500 individual members, Philanos empowers women and gives a national voice to the high-impact collective giving movement.

Leaderful organizations are those that have a culture of fostering leadership at all levels, according to speaker Katie Barnett, associate director of programs at TSNE MissionWorks. They exhibit the Four Cs:

Concurrent: Many members can serve at the same time
Collective: There are opportunities for every member to serve
Collaborative: All members pitch in
Compassionate: Members treat one another with dignity

How does IWCF measure up? In my opinion, pretty well. We have many members serving concurrently in leadership positions. Close to 20% of our members are taking on some kind of responsibility in IWCF at any given time. We have room for all who are inclined to volunteer in some capacity. Our mission is centered in collaboration with all members contributing to our pooled grant fund and all members having a vote on how our grants are distributed. And IWCF is an organization where we lift one another up, appreciate our members, and celebrate our impact.

But we must not become stagnant. There’s always room to evolve, improve, and grow. How do we build upon our success, strengthen our leaderful culture, and instill that culture in the whole organization including the board, committees, and membership?

According to Barnett, becoming a more leaderful organization takes three things.

Clarity of mission and values to provide a strong organizational foundation.
A culture that fosters leadership at all levels. While positions with defined responsibilities are important, a formal title isn’t required to exercise leadership. A culture that fosters leadership at all levels is one that is positive, inclusive, has an open flow of information, has opportunities to participate in decision making, and is aligned with mission. All members lead by their participation and by how they treat others.
A range of engagement opportunities that are flexible, varied and meaningful. These can include interesting programs, accessible meetings, one-time projects, small interest groups, new member mentors, active committees, and paths to formal leadership positions.

Diversity and inclusion are also important if organizations are to thrive and remain relevant. Diversity means the presence of difference; inclusion means members feel they belong.

Diversity doesn’t just happen. It must be strategic with thought given to diversity of individual skills, leadership styles, ideas, backgrounds, and experiences. Organizations need to articulate their values, define what they are looking for and intentionally recruit people with those desired characteristics. Investing in a diverse and inclusive culture is worthwhile. Research shows diversity in organizations promotes engagement. Engagement elevates performance, satisfaction and retention, and produces better decisions and solutions.

The ultimate goal, according to Barnett, is functional and social inclusion. Functional inclusion means there are policies, training, recruiting, and other structures in place that create on-ramps for people to join and prevent unintentional roadblocks to membership. Social inclusion means people participate.

IWCF’s new board member position, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair, and her committee will help all of us articulate what diversity and inclusion look like for IWCF, determine our strategy, remove obstacles, and continue our evolution. By understanding and articulating what we’re trying to do and why it’s important, we can continue to build a diverse, inclusive, and leaderful organization.

General Membership Conflict of Interest Policy

It is understood that many Members of IWCF are or have been employed by nonprofit organizations, involved in civic activities, and/or are current or former members of other Charitable Organizations. IWCF is a richer organization because of its Members’ connections to the community we serve. Members may also have ties through employment, ownership interest, or family ties to businesses that IWCF may contract for services. When a member is involved with the Grant Process and/or is working on an IWCF committee that is contemplating contracting services with outside vendor(s), the member shall identify to the Chair of the relevant Committee any current or prior ties to a grant seeking Charitable Organization or to a business vendor that could present a conflict of interest or may have the appearance of a conflict of interest. The disclosure shall be made as soon as a conflict or potential conflict is identified by the member.

Each member shall refrain from using the list of members for personal or private solicitation purposes. Specific inappropriate actions include:

Openly soliciting business of IWCF board and/or community members under the guise of being endorsed by IWCF
Distributing business cards at functions as a direct solicitation for personal business
Using member roster for business solicitation or for mass mailings for unrelated activities

What is your IWCF communication preference?

We’d like to know if you prefer hard copies or email communications. Please answer this short member survey if you haven’t already.

EVENTS

Feeding the Hungry: Food Insecurity in the Treasure Valley

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its closures and ensuing economic downturn, has exacerbated the problem of food insecurity at both the national and local level. To inform our members (and guests) about the extent of this issue and what is being done to address it in the Treasure Valley, IWCF will host a virtual panel discussion.

Please e-join us for Feeding the Hungry: Food Insecurity in the Treasure Valley on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. The panel will be moderated by IWCF member, Karen Bilowith, President and CEO of the Idaho Community Foundation. Panelists will include:

Karen Vauk, President and CEO, Idaho Food Bank
Grant Jones, Director, Metro Meals on Wheels (Treasure Valley)
Missy Goode, Strategic Partnerships Coordinator, Boise School District

Participants will be able to address written questions to the panelists. The presentation will also be recorded.

IWCF Symposium Moved to September 16, 2021

By Molly Harder, Symposium Chair

Like all of you, the IWCF Symposium Committee has been following the news and information on our current crisis. One thing we do know is the next few months remain uncertain as to how we will be able to physically come together again. Prioritizing the health and safety of our community is of great importance. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our Symposium to September 16, 2021.

Jessica Jackley, Microlender, during TEDGlobal 2010 Session 8: Adventures in Fairness, July 2010 in Oxford, England. Credit: James Duncan Davidson / TED

Jessica Jackley, our keynote speaker, will be here with her inspirational message on Entrepreneurial Philanthropy: Celebrating Change-Making Women Past, Present, Future, a topic that will be even more relevant in the coming months. If you have already committed to a sponsorship level, thank you so much for your support! We hope you plan to participate in September 2021. If so, we would be happy to hold onto your sponsorship and table registration and apply them to the 2021 event. If this new date does not work for you, we can also provide you with a full refund for your current year’s fees. Please contact Molly Harder with any questions at blackaby1@yahoo.com or (208) 841-2638.

Our committee is looking forward to producing our symposium celebrating the powerful impact of educated philanthropy and hope to see you there on September 16, 2021.