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WHO WE ARE
FAST FACTS
NATIONAL & REGIONAL RECOGNITION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STAFF
HISTORY
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
History of Officers' Row
Glossary
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The year was 1984. The economy was struggling, help from both Olympia and Washington, D.C. was declining, and communities across southwest Washington were reeling. We had two choices – wallow in self-pity or act on our own community’s behalf.
We chose to act.
The Community Foundation was born with the simple belief that local action works. From the very beginning, our core belief in inspiring local philanthropy to improve our quality of life has remained steadfast and unchanged.
Early leaders, such as founder Mary Granger, stepped forward to promote local giving and raise funds for struggling families. Our first projects addressed basic needs, such as “Hands Across America.”
Board members Carol Schatz and Wayne Nelson convinced Clark Public Utilities to use a local utility rebate to establish the nation’s first permanent energy assistance fund. This new endowment fund, “Operation Warm Heart,” helped hundreds of struggling families keep their homes heated during the winter months over the next decade
One of our first Board Chairs, Bill Byrd, Jr., stepped forward with his wife Catharine to establish a permanent Donor Advised Fund. Others followed, and a handful of permanent charitable funds emerged as a more substantive and lasting solution to community issues.
We grew.
Interest in charitable giving expanded north, to Cowlitz County, and east to Skamania County. Activist Bob Chace (Longview), and well-known philanthropist Ernie Swigert (Prindle) joined our Board of Directors, and the word “community” expanded to include Stevenson, Kelso, Yacolt, Woodland, and other communities in southwest Washington.
In 1991, Longview physician Dr. Pulliam and his wife, Margaret, established our first permanent scholarship fund, guaranteeing young people from Kelso and Longview college tuition assistance.
Others established scholarship endowments, Donor Advised Funds, and conservation funds. Business leader Paul Christensen set out to change an entire neighborhood, taking on the need for affordable housing and bringing volunteers into schools to ‘mentor’ students. The C.E. John Family took on community rebuilding projects, such as the O.O. Howard House, Valley Homestead, and the Boys and Girls Club in Hazel Dell.
Philanthropy meant action.
Sometimes bricks and mortar, sometimes a helping hand, and often an opened door to opportunity: philanthropy is shaping our communities for the better. Signature projects, like Rister Stadium, the Jim Parsley Center, and Propstra Square encourage citizens to join together in sports, recreation, and learning. Community enhancements such as the Firstenburg Fountain at WSU-Vancouver have become beloved landmarks.
Board Chairs Bill Byrd, Jr., Kay McClaskey, Mark Feichtinger, Kaye Masco, Ed Lynch, Bob Chace, Brot Bishop, Jr., Lee Kearney, and Sue Keil have each left their mark on our organization. Their core values, however, have remained constant: philanthropy, through the Community Foundation, must always be easy, accessible, and inclusive.
Take a look around you – The Community Foundation’s story of philanthropy continues to be written. Through generosity, hard work, and leadership, our community has a permanent word firmly rooted in its cultural lexicon - philanthropy.
We are philanthropists. We are exercising our philanthropic muscle to improve the lives of those around us. Let’s remember to celebrate both what we’ve accomplished as a community and what lies ahead.
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