June 26, 2025
-
5 min
Lessons in Stewardship: Our 2025 Philanthropy Award Honorees
True generosity isn’t measured by what we give—it’s revealed in how we show up.
That’s what our 2025 Southwest Washington Philanthropy Award honorees have done, time and again. They are funders, volunteers, advocates, and leaders. But more than that, they are stewards who have cared for local communities for decades. Their generosity and service remind us that everyone has something meaningful to contribute.
Below, we highlight their stories and the wisdom they shared during our 2025 Annual Luncheon.
Philanthropists of the Year
Kate Jones and Marty Rifkin learned early that giving starts with noticing a need and stepping in. Their parents’ quiet generosity shaped the way they built their business, raised their family and gave back.
As parents, they saw a need for better children’s vitamins. As owners of a nutritional supplement company, they created L’il Critters, the first-ever gummy vitamin, which grew into a worldwide brand.
Even before that success, they established the KMR Group Foundation to give back to the community that had supported their family and helped their business thrive.
Since then, the KMR Group Foundation has awarded more than 400 scholarships and supported dozens of nonprofits focused on education and basic needs. Kate and Marty remain hands-on, helping organizations identify challenges, build creative solutions and grow their impact.
Their guiding belief has never changed: real generosity is less about money and more about showing up for others. For them, the bottom line has always been human connection.
Lessons in Stewardship
- Philanthropy doesn’t have to be grand. Just help where you see a need.
- Giving together expands our impact by building community and modeling values.
- Forming personal connections is the most important part.
- The best gifts are made without hesitation and without judgment.
- Legacy isn’t about what you leave behind; it’s about who you lift up.
"If you step in at the right moment—at an inflection point—you can change the entire trajectory of someone’s life for the better. Keep looking for those inflection points—those opportunities where even a small act of kindness can help someone move forward."
Community Champion
Ian Thompson’s involvement began as a volunteer at his kids’ school garden, which seeded a passion that sprouted into a community movement.
He never imagined running a nonprofit, but that’s what he started with a group of neighbors in 2010. Today, he’s the founder and operations coordinator of Lower Columbia School Gardens (LCSG), an organization that has grown to serve every middle and elementary school in the Longview-Kelso area. Ian and his team provide over 4,600 kids with year-round access to vibrant garden classrooms, cooking programs and organic produce.
Beyond teaching science and health, their free programs infuse lessons on culture and community. Bilingual garden signs communicate inclusion, while veggie and perennial beds showcase diversity through culturally significant foods that Native American, Latinx and Asian families can take home. The remaining bounty feeds five Free Farm Stands in underserved neighborhoods.
What Ian planted alongside his community has taken root and continues to grow through the dedicated staff and volunteers who carry the mission forward, empowering the next generation with the skills and passion to cultivate a healthier, more equitable world.
Lessons in Stewardship
- Trust is what leads to transformation in relationships and in giving.
- You can build what you believe in, especially with a community of support.
- Humility is true leadership. It recognizes others and encourages their contributions.
- Be relentlessly hopeful. It’s a powerful tool for change.
- Meet people where they are and invite them in to grow something meaningful.
“Kids are working together, growing food and tending the soil. The crime is that, without a program like this, so many kids wouldn’t see that stuff. They literally don’t touch real dirt. It’s a beautiful thing, and I’m just grateful for the support.”
Friend of the Foundation
Alicia “Lisa” Lowe is an estate planning attorney at Schwabe who has helped advance the Community Foundation’s mission for nearly two decades. Her story of rising to the professional heights of a major Pacific Northwest law firm started in eighth grade, with a gift.
That’s when little Lisa met her classmate’s mother, who happened to be an attorney. She gave Lisa the belief that women could pursue law and some lasting words of encouragement.
Today, Lisa is a respected estate planning attorney, helping her clients achieve their goals. Giving is a big part of her practice, and she enjoys helping people of all means bring their charitable visions to life, especially when that involves working with the Community Foundation.
What she first saw as a flexible giving solution for her clients soon became her outlet for impact. From serving as the chair of our Professional Advisory Council to joining our Board of Directors and Finance Committee, Lisa’s passion and leadership have helped the Community Foundation and local philanthropy blossom. And to this day, she still remembers that even the smallest gifts can make a big difference.
Lessons in Stewardship
- Representation creates possibility and changes lives.
- Professional skills are just as important as personal passions in philanthropy.
- Leadership means using your place at the table to lift others up.
- Every act of giving counts, no matter the size. You just need to care and act.
- Belonging is an essential part of any community, especially ours.
“Did you hear the buzz as you walked into this ballroom? That excitement, that joy, is what this community is all about—a deep commitment to caring for one another. I can’t tell you what it means to me…to know I belong in this community.”
Every Contribution Counts
Our honorees show that it doesn’t matter what we give; it only matters that we give. Each of them applies their unique strengths to community causes, demonstrating that stewardship takes many forms.
To visualize the many strengths we all hold, our team created the Archetypes of Community Contribution. So, what are your strengths? How will you add to the story we are shaping for future generations? You can take our Archetypes Quiz to answer the first question. And, if you want to explore how you can give in southwest Washington, contact us today. We're always excited to connect with more caring community members.
After all, the future isn’t shaped by one voice, but by the many who choose to contribute. So, let’s create an enduring legacy—together.