December is a month of gift giving.  Our team has created the top three reasons why giving the gift of WFO membership is meaningful!

3) Community Engagement Opens Doors.  Last month, we hosted the virtual event, "Demystifying the Process: Navigating the Oregon Legislature." During the event, our Executive Director, Libra Forde shared how community engagement opens doors. WFO offers so many ways to get involved: from research to policy to grantmaking to events and so much more.  By becoming a member you will have a full-access pass to engaging in ways that feel authentic to you. To hear her words, watch the video here.  

2) Collective Giving means Collective Power. By joining forces with other individuals to ensure that women and girls are receiving equity in funding support we collectively challenge historic and systemic inequities.  The only way to change the numbers and advance social, racial, and gender justice is do it together.  We truly believe in the power of people.

1) Impact is the best gift of all. We all want to GIVE gifts that connect with someone's heart.  There is no greater gift than a gift that is grounded in impact and transformation. Every day, WFO's work is transforming our states and communities.

Aloha Oregonians, 

In the face of challenges, we know that the Women’s Foundation of Oregon is ready to lead with strength, vision, and a commitment to creating an Oregon where all women and girls have the opportunity to thrive. But we can’t do it without you.

As Oregon’s only foundation exclusively focused on women and girls, WFO is uniquely positioned to drive change. By becoming a member, you’re not only joining a statewide movement but also amplifying the voice of every woman and girl in our communities. Your support enables us to monitor every bill affecting women and girls, advocate for meaningful policies, and provide resources to those who need it most.

We’re building something powerful here, but we need your voice and your support. Join us as a member and take a stand for Oregon’s women and girls. Together, let’s build a future that uplifts, protects, and empowers.

With deep gratitude,
Libra Forde

The recent election results have left us all with a lot to reflect on. At the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, we know that the clarity of this moment—however difficult to accept—calls us to action like never before. For many, these outcomes are a powerful reminder of how essential it is to build a future where women and girls are fully supported and have a voice in the direction of our society. We have been dedicated to this mission since 1887, and we’re here to make sure Oregonians have a place to activate and fight for gender equity.

Today, we’re calling on you to join us in this work. Becoming a member of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon means joining a statewide movement, one that is part of a powerful national network of women’s foundations committed to advancing gender justice. Together, we’re building an organized, determined force in Oregon—an “army” of people ready to combat the realities women and girls are facing.

Like you, we have been thinking a great deal about the future of our state and country as we head into another consequential election day, perhaps the most consequential of our lifetime. Entering tomorrow with a combination of hope and anxiety, we recognize what is at stake not only in this moment in time but for the next generation.

Considering all that this election is connected to, when anxiety starts to take over, we remember how preserving our democracy, working together, fighting for justice and equity, and focusing on the future has never been easy. But this is our purpose, our work, our goal, and what is the most urgent calling right now.  We truly believe democracy is feminist.

Today, our only ask, (okay, two asks) is to make sure that you and your circle have voted or are going to vote tomorrow and that you take a moment to take care of yourself. We will be in communication after election day, as we plan together for the future of our state and country.   

It means that there is a big gap for us to fill if we ever want organizations that are serving women and girls to have equitable financial support.  It means that the work and the role that WFO plays is critical to gender equity and justice. Lastly, it also means we can't do it alone.  So, today, on this very important day; let's honor "Give to Women and Girl's Day" by becoming a member of WFO and collectively addressing this funding gap.

Election season is upon us and we want to share a message about hope, action and community. We know that many of you, like many of us, are feeling stressed, cautiously optimistic, worried, anxious and overwhelmed or maybe you are feeling apathetic, disgruntled or angry. You may be feeling all of those emotions all at once! Whatever you may be feeling, please know that you are not alone. If we have learned anything over the past four years, it is that we need to work alongside one another, we have to keep fighting for our rights and the rights of others, and that we can achieve great things when we join together. The Women’s Foundation of Oregon uses a three pronged strategy to achieve justice. We do this through direct grants, research, and policy advocacy (details below). 

We are always looking for new individuals to join us as we support communities, programs, and individuals that improve the lives and opportunities of women and girls.  If you or someone you know is interested in joining our work  Click here to become a member of WFO.

Our In the Moment Grants support organizations through urgent and unexpected needs by providing smaller, low-barrier, grants with a fast turnaround.  Our goal is that these grants have a big impact by meeting the organizations where they are.  Below are key details about the grant:

In The Moment Grant Details

• Organization must be a registered 501c3 or fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 

• BIPOC led or serving organizations are prioritized

• Geographical diversity throughout the state is an important consideration and all services/activities must occur within Oregon 

• Organizations with operating budgets under $4 million annually will have an opportunity for a higher ranking

Considering half of our country's population will be affected by menopause, there's a stunning and completely unacceptable information gap about how to manage and treat the myriad symptoms related to menopause.  To address this gap, the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, and St. Luke’s - Eastern Oregon Medical Associates are proud to host the second edition of “Pause! What’s missing in the talk about menopause” in Baker City, Oregon.

The public is invited to an unfiltered and fun conversation about menopause and all things menopause-related. This event is centered on community learning, connectivity and dialogue - to share information and spread awareness (details in flyer appove). 

With less than 11% of the NIH budget in 2020 dedicated to women’s health research, despite women representing 51% of the American population, community spaces are critical. We are proud to collaborate with Baker City Organizations to facilitate this important conversation.

ICYMI - In our last newsletter, we shared our new mission statement, "Women's Foundation of Oregon supports communities, programs, and individuals that improve the lives and opportunities of women and girls. We do this through direct grants, research, and policy advocacy". Our Executive Director, Libra Forde, expands in this video on what this statement means to WFO and our work. We hope you will take a couple of minutes to tune-in and let us know your thoughts.

As we continue to live this guiding statement, we are excited to announce our In the Moment Grants, will open on September 9th. If you know an organization that would be interested in applying please share this email and encourage them to sign-up for our newsletter so that they can stay informed.

Reflection and action together are powerful dynamics. Our team and Board of Directors are extremely intentional about how we do we our work to advance gender justice in our state and country. We are constantly asking ourselves the most pressing and even difficult questions to serve our mission and purpose with integrity.

Recently, we embarked on a process to assess our mission statement. We are excited to share our new mission statement, which we will hope will continue to inspire individuals within the WFO community and folks who are learning about who we are.

"Women's Foundation of Oregon supports communities, programs, and individuals that improve the lives and opportunities of women and girls. We do this through direct grants, research, and policy advocacy."

We had an impactful and important conversation last week at our “Pause! What’s missing in the talk about menopause” happy hour! We shared stories, brainstormed as a community, and connected for future work. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We are excited to continue to host transformative events.

In thinking about our future, we are inviting you to help us plan. By becoming a member, you will have a front row seat to provide guidance and ideas. There is so much work to be done and coming together intentionally and strategically is key! Click here to become a member.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and sparked a whole new era of attacks on reproductive rights, access, and healthcare. For many of us, we never thought the day would come where we would see the highest court make this unwelcomed decision. However, now we are confronted with a new reality where even contraception and more are up for debate and policy changes. It is a necessary and urgent calling for us to be in community, and for our community to be in a position of strength and organized.

Additionally, on top of the attacks to reproductive rights, there are still other areas of the work that cannot be forgotten- gender based violence, disproportionate impacts of global warming on women and girls, food insecurity and the lack of childcare access for families, and so much more.

Across the country we are witnessing very real and very dangerous attacks to women. Every day we turn on the news and see how the attacks to reproductive justice are not only impacting some states but are having a national impact. The urgent call to action and participation in democracy is critical. Active engagement in democracy is not only voting, but also growing in awareness, getting involved, building community, working in solidarity, and so much more. All of these components are part of the tapestry of WFO's work. Our collaboration for two events last month demonstrates our continued commitment to education, activism and positive change.

Spring fills us with a sense of renewal, rebirth, and growth. The world around us becomes green again, the sun peaks its head out more often, and the days grow longer. It is this Spring energy that we embraced all through April at Women’s Foundation of Oregon. We had a busy month that helped us to grow our perspectives and meet new people energized in the fight for justice. The new people, the new events, the new ideas were all part of our continued growth last month.

There is a beautiful African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” At the Women’s Foundation of Oregon we believe in bringing folks together, united with the common goal to achieve justice, and we know that we want to go far and we want to go together. The issues that we face are numerous, complex and can feel overwhelming. However, we are encouraged by collective action, movements in solidarity, and grassroots organizing that has led to substantial successes across the nation. WFO began our fight in 1887 and we are still here fighting for gender justice. WFO is committed to being a positive force in Oregon through the movement of ideas and resources across our state.

Women's History Month is a great opportunity to continue to live and publicly express the mission of the Women's Foundation of Oregon. All month we have attended and supported events like the Leap into WHM with Girls Inc., the Women in Science Evening of Empowerment Dinner, the We Are More Than Conquerors event presented by our grantee, WomenFirst Transition and Referral Center, and so many more!

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month and leap into Women's History Month we are eager to share how we embrace and incorporate our intersectional frameworks.

Our vision for justice, recommendations for awareness, and action items for collaboration. We are honoring this special leap day by spreading awareness on how the inner-connectedness of our identities shapes our multiple realities.

We embrace and are inspired by Kimberlé Crenshaw's words, "The struggle against patriarchy and racism must be substantively robust and inextricably intertwined."

This Black History Month, and every month, we are proud of our intersectional consciousness and our intentional efforts to center women, girls and women identifying folks of color in our work and movement building.