Three Key Tips for Getting the Most out ofyour Membership

  1. Stay informed by reading the Member Updates and, if you’re on social media, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ninetyninegirlfriends.

  2. Ask questions by emailing us and we’ll get you to the right person.

  3. Take initiative by reaching out if there’s something you’re interested in or registering if there’s an event you’d like to attend.

Introducing our Coordinating Council for 2024-25

Tammy Wilhoite chairs our Coordinating Council, which is responsible for ninety-nine girlfriends' committees and ensuring all are in sync. The council is made up of the chairs of our five committees and we will soon be inviting applications for new positions of at-large members. Our organizational chart shows our current structure, which evolves as we learn and grow. We are working to get back to having two co-chairs of each committee, so email us if you’re interested in learning more about volunteering.

Tammy Wilhoite, CHAIR COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATIONS 

Megan Leftwich, CHAIR GRANTS STEERING

Barbara Hilyer & Karen Healey, 
CO-CHAIRS, MEMBER EDUCATION                       

Lori Rux & Katrina Machorro,
CO-CHAIRS, MEMBERSHIP                   

Lan Fendors, CHAIR OPERATIONS & FINANCE


 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON CHELSEA MCGRAW

Chelsea McGraw

What brought you to ninety-nine girlfriends?

Hi! I am brand new to ninety-nine girlfriends this year! I was introduced to this organization through a women’s event my office has hosted for the last 10 years called Power, Purpose & Passion. Along with a financial education piece (power!) and a keynote speaker (purpose!), we introduced a local non-profit (passion!) at each event. Over the last 10 years we have hosted so many wonderful non-profits and have met many women doing tireless and amazing work for our community. Our event came to an end last year and ninety-nine girlfriends was the last organization to present. Joining the girlfriends seemed to me like a perfect way to continue working with women and help support non-profits in a meaningful way. 

What keeps you engaged/interested/connected?

I attended one of the educational events as well as the initial round of grant letter reviews. It was encouraging to see so many women taking time out of their busy lives to learn, connect and put the time in to make a difference. The lunch session on poverty was eye-opening and a good reminder of how much work needs to be done and how much support is needed for the organizations out there trying to create change. The room of women brought many different perspectives to the table and I enjoyed having those conversations through the different lenses. 

The grant letter review process was also really interesting, fun and felt like we were really getting a lot done. Everyone I have interacted with at the ninety-nine girlfriends events has been welcoming and friendly. So far it has been a great way to connect and learn.

What else?! 

In my line of work as a wealth manager and financial advisor, I deal with high net worth on a daily basis. Taking the time to give back is important to me and also serves as a personal reminder to not get stuck in my own bubble. I believe that if we are in a place in our lives where we can share our time, resources or skills, it is important to use that for good—you never know how it could change the trajectory of someone else’s path in a life changing way. 

On a personal note, I love playing tennis in my free time, attending concerts and traveling with my friends and family. My husband and I are big fans of the Oregon State Beavers and can be found at every home football game rooting for orange and black!  

DISCOVERY FORUM CONTINUES TO EDUCATE AND CONNECT

Our Discovery Forum was a great gathering of Girlfriends and guests (72 in all!) and an excellent exchange of ideas. Panelists from the Oregon Center for Public Policy, The Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, and Impact Partner Constructing Hope addressed our learning question for this year:  “How are equity, poverty and social mobility related and how can our philanthropy support positive change?” 

Some unsettling food for thought: 12% of Oregon households live in poverty. Forty percent of households cannot afford basic needs. Poverty is a policy choice.  

Read more here

We will continue to share what we learned via these member updates.

Our Member Education Committee planned the program which was moderated by our own Jody Feldman and Northwest Natural generously donated the space and a delicious, nutritious meal. Girlfriends had the opportunity to socialize at lunch and engage in discussion while developing questions for the panel. 

We moved beyond a recitation of a land acknowledgement as we seek to include more authentic education about Native people in our area and shared Klamath River Meditation by Judi Brannan Armbruster, a Karuk poet, published in Red Indian Road West: Native American Poetry from California (2016), an anthology that Lucille Lang Day co edited with Lakota poet Kurt Schweigman.  

Klamath River Meditation,
                                     by Judi Brannon Armbruster

There is a trail
down through tall cedar,
down to the River. 

The Sun shines
in shafts of gold
creates patterns
on the red dirt.
Light beams glisten
and dance on the water. 

I sit on a boulder
flat and gray
that lies part way
under the water.  

I feel warmth
from   this rock
from   the Sun
from   somewhere
deep inside.    

I listen . . .
the Water’s voice
speaks to me.
I feel . . .
  Peace.
I am . . .
  Peace.

All I see is sacred.  
I am . . .
  sacred.

Ha’a

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON BARBARA O'HARE

What brought you to ninety-nine girlfriends?

A very good friend introduced me to ninety-nine girlfriends in 2018 through a World Cafe and I was intrigued by the efficient process and the focus areas for giving.  Particularly refreshing was that ninety-nine girlfriends was making donations to BIPOC communities that traditionally had been overlooked.    

What holds your interest and keeps you engaged?

I was assigned a mentor that walked on water 😊. The events are engaging and are educational. The friendliness of Members is binding. After joining the visionary team, designed to evolve ninety-nine girlfriends for future members, I realized that Girlfriends is destined for the future.  

Why do you volunteer?                                                         

I saw my father and mother volunteer in the local Portland community and they inspired me to volunteer. I believe we should think about individuals that have less access than we do, may be less favored than we are, those that are less resourced and need something we can offer.  The Girlfriends sincerity about creating positive change at the grassroots levels of society is aspirational.

What else would you like to tell us?

I retired from an international airline in the public affairs/sales office. I have facilitated numerous dialogues around superficial differences like religion, culture and economics through dialoguesunlimited.com-serious about bridge building.

My husband and I enjoy live original rock n roll concerts.  I have enjoyed the Oregon Symphony and Chamber Music NW with other Girlfriends.  I’m looking forward to another season of thoughtful-giving with ninety-nine girlfriends.  

POVERTY BY AMERICA

After Matthew Desmond won the Pulitzer for Evicted,about families struggling to stay housed, the Princeton sociologist realized he still didn't understand why the U.S. has more poverty than any other advanced democracy.

His new book Poverty, By America, provides a provocative and compelling answer: It's because the rest of us benefit from it, and act to keep it that way.    
Learn more from Matthew Desmond in this brief interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw5GoTq2vBE

FRIENDS OF NOISE IS RECRUITING

Friends of Noise is looking for a fundraising/development strategist to join their team as a short-term consultant or long-term director to help grow their impact by ensuring the sustainability of our community arts venue. They are also seeking a new volunteer board member with a background in finance to eventually fill the role of treasurer. Their board meets remotely on a monthly basis (and in-person quarterly). Please contact Executive Director, André Middleton, with any interest or questions. 

IT’S GALA/SPRING FUNDRAISER SEASON

A few of our Impact Partners have events coming up, and they can be a great way to connect further with these organizations as they share stories of their impact and engage communities on how to support their future! 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON ADRIANA BAER

Adriana Baer

When I first joined ninety-nine girlfriends, I was in a transition from being an arts leader in Portland to creating my own business as a public speaking coach. Then COVID hit and we stopped gathering in person. I realized how much I missed the connections with other Girlfriends and valued the smart conversations this group fosters. I’m so glad to be back!

A highlight for me in past years was the opportunity to volunteer to coach the finalists on their presentations and public speaking skills. Being able to “use my powers for good” is a huge motivator for me! I also absolutely love the cross-generational aspect of this community. We have so much to learn from each other.

I’m now a proud member of the SW Washington contingent, having moved to a small farm in Ridgefield, WA. I live there with my husband and daughter (a Girlfriend in the making). When not growing veggies, I run a public speaking coaching business called Claim Center Stage and offer workshops, team trainings, and one-on-one coaching locally and nationally.


Adriana Baer

YOU CAN ACCESS NAO RESOURCES

We are members of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, the statewide nonprofit membership organization representing and supporting charitable nonprofits of all sizes, geographic locations and missions across Oregon. NAO offers many educational resources about non-profits that we all have access to as Girlfriends. NAO serves the needs of the nonprofit sector through our work in advocacy and public policy work; convening; capacity building; disseminating nonprofit standard of excellence; and conducting thought leadership through research and polling.


To access these the NAO resources, create an account here:  https://nonprofitoregon.org/register/

This email includes essential details about logging in to your account on our new and improved website.

**All members must go to the Lost Password page to create a new password for their account.**

If you had an existing account on our old site, enter your email address or username to reset your password.

As a note, our old site and new site handle usernames differently, so some usernames may have changed to address this issue. Our new site doesn't allow for spaces where our old site did. In those cases, our new site may have added a hyphen where there previously had been a space. Ex. Beverly Wright would become beverly-wright on the new site.

Invite your staff, board, and volunteers to benefit from your organization's NAO membership! 

We encourage everyone to create their own user accounts. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to do that:

  1. Create Account at https://nonprofitoregon.org/register/

  2. Log in. You will be redirected to a "My Member Dashboard" page.

  3. Search for your organization in the "Organization Details" section.

  4. Click submit. If your organization is an active NAO member, your user account will automatically link to your organization's membership. 

  5. Continue to explore the website, register for events, and access member-only resources.

If you need help connecting your account, email NAO Membership with your first and last name and organization name so we can manually link your account. 

OTW Update from Liaison Andrea DuFlon

Recently, liaison Andrea DuFlon caught up with Oregon Tradeswomen to learn about what they’re up to and what’s coming up on their calendar. She reported the following:

OTW is doing amazing work on a shoestring budget, with bare-bones staffing. For them, a big challenge is keeping their training current with the changing trends in the trades industry. They have a classroom, as well as small office spaces and a very large shop where all the hands-on training in the various trades takes place. In addition, they provide job counseling, career placement information, and support services. I was excited to see the amount of support they receive from various companies and organizations. KEEN, for example, provides work boots and steel-toed boots for every student at no cost. Many of the tools that students are given, such as hard hats and tool belts, have been donated. 

OTW's Pathways To Success program offers a 192-hour (8-week) Trades and Career Class (TACC) 4 times a year. This is the mainstay of their work, preparing adult job seekers for a career in the construction trades. Not only does this program provide hands-on training in the various trades, but it also offers training and support in developing leadership skills for union work, as well as workplace attitudes and demeanor. It is an Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries-certified program, so it provides a pipeline to many paid internship programs in the trades. Students are paid a $15/hour wage equivalency, a milestone achievement put in place by their recently retired Executive Director, which opens the door to many women who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in such a program. They also offer a RISE Up training with studies in the areas of respect, inclusion, safety, and equity, providing students with the tools they need as women to manage workplace issues.

OTW was a good choice for 99 Girlfriends. It's amazing how they can stretch a dollar, make connections in the community, and do the hard work to get what they need. Thanks to their innovative training program, they have made real changes in the makeup of Oregon's workforce. It feels so good to be a part of that.“ – Andrea DuFlon, Girlfriend and Liaison

OTW's upcoming events are: 

  • Oregon Tradeswomen Annual Career Fair – May 17 and 18, 2024

  • Build With Us – September 2024, bringing together tradeswomen and industry to increase connection, and to celebrate equity, inclusion and innovation; an annual fundraising event for OTW. 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON WENDY WRAY

I joined ninety-nine girlfriends in January 2020. As a relatively new Portlander and a nonprofit professional, this seemed like a great way to get involved with organizations in our community. I was also intrigued by the opportunity to learn about philanthropy from the grantmaking side.

I jumped right in by joining a grant review team. Learning about the amazing work going on in our community was a bright spot in that difficult summer. I've since enjoyed roles on the Outreach and Racial Equity Teams, and gotten to know incredible women. Ninety-nine girlfriends has a magical way of matching members with involvement that fits their interests and schedules and appreciating the time you have to invest, whether it's many hours or just a few.

Our work together is as interesting as it is enjoyable, and there are many ways to participate. I feel inspired at every meeting and event by the depth of members' curiosity, creativity and commitment to creating positive change in our community.

As an organization, ninety-nine girlfriends embraces learning, change and self-reflection. This means we listen, welcoming feedback and always growing, as we work with each other and our community partners.


Wendy Wray

FRIENDS OF NOISE

Friends of Noise is thrilled to kick off their first-ever Spring BreakFest, a two-day, ALL AGES event featuring an epic bill of 16 teen and adult bands March 29 & 30 at Oregon Contemporary (8371 N. Interstate Ave.)! As Friends of Noise loves to do, they have pulled together a multi-genre lineup, so come check out one of your favorite bands and stick around to discover someone new! Full lineup and advance tickets are available here.


Opportunities to Support CARES Northwest

  • They are looking for outreach marketing ambassadors – they could use some publicity and connections to potential donors. 

  • Volunteer opportunities interacting with families in the waiting areas - this will include some training. 

If you’re interested in either of these volunteer positions, contact Jenny Gilmore, Executive Director, or Teresa Baker, Admin Assistant at 503-276-9000.

LIAISON REPORT FROM ANDREA ALLISON

Girlfriend Andrea Allison is a liaison with Impact Partner CARES Northwest. Following is her report from her February site visit.

CARES Northwest expressed their gratitude for ninety-nine girlfriends and the Impact Awards they have received that helped them expand their services to Beaverton. Right now, they have a one-person office there that staff use to see clients. It is only large enough to see one child at a time versus four children here in Portland. They are in the process of building a 10,000-square-foot facility in the Hillsboro/Cornell area, tripling the size of their current space, which will open in January 2026. Next month they will be working on the design!
CARES Northwest is accredited and uses evidence-based practice for child abuse intervention. They not only evaluate children but also treat them with a staff of therapists, physicians, and case managers as well as outside contractors. They are working hard to dig out from under the COVID lockdown. The cases they are now seeing are increasingly severe and complex with more no-shows, increased trauma, and instability that further impacts the children. The court system is backed up for two years! The staff had hoped it all would return to a normal level, but it has not happened. It takes a toll on the staff, and they are working on self-care and focusing on successes and resiliency to not burn themselves out. They have continued success though. They were working with Legacy Hospital and the State of Oregon to bill health insurance for mental health services and that has now become a reality!

Girlfriend Andrea Allison pictured with Hollie and Jenny of CARES Northwest. The quilt in this therapy room will be gifted to a client.

Let us Know if You're Planning to Renew by Check, DAF or Stock Transfer?

To help ensure your membership contribution is properly processed when paying other than by credit card online, it’s very helpful to sign up or renew via our website (Join or Renew 2024), which automatically lets us know which membership level you want ($300, $600, $1200, $1800, or $2500) and whether the funds will be coming via a check or stock transfer. 

Read more here

Some Girlfriends make their annual membership contributions by sending a personal check or by having a check sent from their brokerage account or donor-advised fund at our PO Box. Other Girlfriends make their contribution by initiating a stock transfer directly to our investment account. We appreciate each and every contribution and are pleased to receive funds by any of these methods and by credit card. 

If your payment will be coming via a brokerage or investment firm, please email us to let us know you have requested the check and include the name of the fund, the account name, the date and amount requested, and the approximate date the payment is expected to be made (if known). If you received an acknowledgement from the fund custodian when the request was made, please forward that. These small steps help ensure we know your intentions and can accurately and efficiently connect funds received to the proper donor. Questions about this process? Contact us.

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LEARNING LINK: VANPORT

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This month’s learning links connect to both Black History Month and our 2024 focus on the relationship between equity, poverty and social mobility. 

In the 1940s, Vanport was the second largest city in Oregon, built to create wartime housing during WWII. Vanport was home to thousands of Black migrants looking for work in the shipbuilding industry. In 1948 it was destroyed by a devastating flood. The history of Vanport is tied up in state and local laws and practices regarding segregation, housing, and race relations.  

The NPR show Code Switch, did a short piece on Vanport in 2015. In addition, Oregon Public Broadcasting created an excellent one-hour documentary to share the full story of Vanport.