No Images? Click here Dear Friends,It's been a busy month at OCF – with many partners joining us for hands-on arts education in Pendleton, a well-attended community reception in Eugene and a glimpse into community resiliency after an all-too-active fire season in Southern Oregon. We know that Oregonians care deeply about our state's natural resources and we are grateful to work with donor partners and regional organizations on sustainability efforts to benefit communities throughout Oregon. Also, please join us in welcoming OCF's new VP of People and Culture, Mariann Hyland. Philanthropy and Community ResiliencyAs our state faces the dual challenges of an active fire season and unprecedented heat waves, many organizations and people are focusing on immediate community needs for firefighting, shelter, clean water, food and power. Equally critical are the harder-to-see, but just as acute long-term needs that surface post-natural disaster: fixing critical infrastructure and damage to natural resources and supporting local businesses. Philanthropic dollars can contribute to long-term recovery solutions and community resiliency, as exemplified by our $46,000 grant to the Ashland-based Siskiyou Mountain Club, which provided support for 60 miles of trail restoration vital to the area’s local economy. The Oregon Community Foundation continues to focus on resilience – creating communities that are able to recover from the last disaster and are fully prepared and able to recover from the next. Studio to School Gathers in PendletonHeaded into its fifth year, OCF’s Studio to School initiative continues to build community through shared arts creation. This unique statewide arts education initiative helps deliver high quality programs in schools – building arts skills, knowledge and appreciation among students. At last week’s annual rendezvous, nearly 80 arts organizations, schools and community partners shared ideas, best practices and hands-on experience with resources from the Pendleton Center for the Arts and Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. Local musicians JD Kindle and the Eastern Oregon Playboys and student band REV played while teams wrote with poet Anis Mojgani and designed screen prints with master printer Judith Baumann at Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts. Watch for more information as we share learnings from Studio to School projects over the years. Celebrating 20 years of Charitable Activity in the Southern Willamette ValleyThe August 2 OCF community reception in Eugene celebrated 20 years of charitable activity since opening the OCF office directly serving the Southern Willamette Valley. We are so grateful for the many donors, partners and volunteers who make our work possible every day. At the reception, OCF President and CEO Max Williams presented a $150,000 grant in support of the University of Oregon Black Cultural Center. OCF board and staff also took the opportunity while they were all gathered in Eugene to visit Bethel Farm, Hult Center for the Performing Arts and Emerald Village. Bethel Farm is a working farm that serves as an outdoor classroom for Bethel School District students and staff. Emerald Village is a community of low-cost tiny homes for people in need of housing. Check out photos from the reception and site visits here. OCF Welcomes New Vice President of People and CultureMariann Hyland joins OCF as the Vice President of People and Culture. She will lead the development of a culture engagement strategy to advance OCF’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Mariann has more than 20 years of experience in institution-wide leadership at nonprofit educational and regulatory institutions in Oregon, and has a track record of establishing diverse, inclusive, and engaged workforces and organizational cultures. “Oregon, and our nation as a whole, is experiencing widening disparities along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines, and I am looking forward to helping The Oregon Community Foundation close these gaps,” says Mariann. “I am thrilled by the opportunity to work with talented, caring people who are committed to helping Oregonians and our diverse communities thrive." |