I am thrilled to announce that Kathleen Kee and Andrew Colas are joining Meyer Memorial Trust’s Board of Trustees. As we continue our mission to accelerate racial, social, and economic justice, their experience and leadership will be invaluable to our work.
Kathleen Kee has been a force for financial empowerment and inclusive leadership for more than 40 years. As Senior Wealth Advisor at Focus Partners Wealth and while CEO of Confluence Wealth Management, she has built a legacy of mentorship and success in a traditionally male-dominated field. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kathleen has dedicated her time to numerous organizations focused on economic equity and cultural preservation. Her belief in the power of community resonates deeply with Meyer’s mission. As she so aptly put it,
“We are all connected as a community and we have to share in the responsibility to work together with respect and optimism to improve and solve the many injustices around us.” We couldn’t be more honored to have her join us in this work.
Andrew Colas brings a visionary perspective as President and CEO of Colas Construction. His leadership in sustainable and innovative commercial construction, coupled with his deep commitment to community service, makes him a perfect addition to Meyer’s board. As a lifelong Portlander, Andrew understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing our communities. His words reflect the heart of what we strive to achieve at Meyer:
“People have more in common than not, yet too many feel marginalized and left out. Meyer’s mission to support organizations advancing justice and bridging this gap aligns deeply with my values.”
With his leadership, we will continue to build toward a more equitable future.
As we welcome Kathleen and Andrew, we also express our deepest gratitude to Charles Wilhoite, who concludes his term in March after 12 years of dedicated service. Charles has been a cornerstone of our board, shaping Meyer’s vision with wisdom and integrity. His contributions will leave a lasting impact, and we are profoundly grateful for his leadership.
At a time when steadfast leadership and an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are more essential than ever, we are excited for what lies ahead. Kathleen and Andrew bring invaluable expertise, dedication and passion to Meyer, and we look forward to the impact they will make in advancing our mission.
For the first time in its history, Meyer has partnered with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) to survey our grantees about their work with us. The CEP is an independent, nonprofit organization that has been working to improve philanthropic effectiveness for almost 25 years.
We recognize that grantees are not always comfortable sharing feedback with funders who hold the purse strings. That’s why we appreciate CEP’s efforts to ensure that the feedback gathered in this survey was fully anonymous and confidential. CEP’s survey is issued to hundreds of foundations each year, allowing us to compare ourselves to a broad range of philanthropic organizations, as well as to a smaller cohort of mission-aligned funders that we consider exemplars in the field. We set high standards for the work we fund and we want to be just as ambitious in the goals we set for ourselves.
It’s also worthwhile to note that this year’s survey was conducted in April 2024, prior to the launch of our issues-based open call. We know that at that time, our community was anxious to learn more about our strategy and goals for funding. With more than a dozen info sessions held virtually and around the state, we hope that much of that uncertainty has since been allayed.
We still consider that the 2024 survey offers a valuable baseline assessment of grantee perception from which we are eager to build and improve upon over time. You can learn more about CEP’s work and survey methodology here. More details are also available in these slides.
This year has been a dynamic time for Meyer. We've welcomed 11 new staff members, launched a new Tribal Nations Initiative and hosted our first open funding opportunity in more than three years. We are grateful to the staff and grantees who have been on this journey with us. Our deepest appreciation to all those who shared their honest and thoughtful feedback along the way. Let’s keep talking.
— Kim
What We Learned: Key Lessons and Opportunities
Meyer grantees value the freedom and flexibility to do their best work.
Grantees told us that general operating dollars, automatic renewals and multi-year funding are important contributors to their success. They also appreciated Meyer's relatively low-burden application process. Grantees believe that the time spent on applying for grant funding is worth the dollars received and our transition to the Giving Data grants management platform also received high marks.
Grantees want to be in relationship with us and support 'beyond the check'.
Strong partnerships require mutual understanding. We know that Meyer’s staffing and structural changes in late 2023 affected the continuity of many of the valued relationships with our program staff. In addition, we hear that grantees appreciate support that goes ‘beyond the check’, especially through collaboration, convenings and connections to other resources.
With our current grantmaking team solidly in place, we are looking forward to developing more opportunities to listen and learn from one another in the coming months and years.
More substantive and clear communication is a must
Not surprisingly, grantees at the time of the survey were seeking more specific, actionable information from Meyer about how and what we would be funding. We also know that consistent, substantive communication about our goals and strategies is important for grantees so that they can plan.
In addition to sharing more robust communication in this area, we also plan to communicate more about how we are measuring and tracking our progress. In 2025, we will update our website and deepen our storytelling about the work we support, so that our grantees can access information and better understand how and whether their organizations' work and values are a good fit for Meyer funding.
In the aftermath of this election, we are faced with a stark reality. For millions of people across the country, the return of Donald Trump to the presidency signals not just a political shift, but a direct threat to their rights, their dignity and their futures.
To our grantees, partners and friends: we are here, and we are in this for the long haul. We see you, we stand with you and we are ready to back you with our actions and resources. We will not abandon our shared vision of a world where justice reigns over hatred, where compassion outshines cruelty and where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright and prosperous future.
We applaud the efforts of our nonprofit partners, so many of whom have worked tirelessly to educate us all on what is at stake in this election and on what is possible when we work together. In the coming days, weeks and months, we will be actively listening for and responding to emerging opportunities to support you.
We recognize that we are entering uncertain times. As we wait for the last votes to be tallied and the results certified, we want to share what Meyer is certain of regardless of any individual election outcome:
Our shared responsibility to listen, hear and respect one another.
Our collective ability as a people to improve, innovate, learn and be better.
Our strength and our resilience as we unite in our efforts for the common good
Let’s remember. Change can be delayed, but it cannot be erased. As John Lewis said, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.”
“Democracy is not something you have, but something you do. It is a verb.” - Marshall Ganz, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
With the election only days away, immigration, reproductive health and civic engagement have taken center stage in the national political conversation. However, these are not just “hot button” political topics; they’re central to the health of our democracy and how justice is delivered in America.
Through our initiative, Together, We Rise, Meyer is proud to support groups working on these and other issues core to developing BIPOC leaders and building inclusive movements here in Oregon.
What is Together, We Rise?
While immigration, reproductive justice, and civic engagement are getting extra attention right now, we at Meyer think about them often. I've had the privilege of working in this space at Meyer for more than 18 years, first through our Building Communities portfolio and now through our recently launched strategic initiative.
Together, We Rise funds leadership development, civic engagement, community organizing, movement building and field infrastructure. These are fundamental to a healthy democracy and critical for advancing Meyer's goals across all our program areas. We focus on supporting organizations that work in historically underserved communities. These organizations engage and support community members, helping them advocate for policy change, overcome historical barriers to civic participation and increase their sense of belonging.
This year, through Together, We Rise, Meyer will award more than 30 grants totaling more than $5 million to support organizations doing this vital work. (Funding this year was by invitation, but that might change in the future.)
Immigration: Supporting Human Dignity
Immigrants who have made their home in Oregon are a part of our social fabric and contribute to our collective prosperity. Yet, they are regularly used as scapegoats in increasingly hostile political rhetoric. Below is a selection of Together, We Rise grantees working to reform our broken immigration system and ensure Oregon’s immigrant and refugee communities are not only protected, but empowered.
Northwest Workers Justice Project: Addresses workplace health and safety violations and protects workers from exploitation, abuse and employer theft
Innovation Law Lab: Works to end the isolation and exploitation of immigrants and refugees and build permanent pathways to immigrant inclusion
Oregon Rural Action: Leads grassroots efforts in Eastern Oregon for farmworker rights, social justice and environmental equity
Reproductive Health: Protecting Rights
Reproductive health has been weaponized this political season. However numerous groups are working to preserve Oregonians’ bodily autonomy and access to necessary healthcare. We’ve supported the organizations below in their work to protect these essential freedoms:
Family Forward Oregon: Focuses on caregiving, gender and reproductive justice, helping BIPOC leaders drive change
ACLU of Oregon: Through their Equal Rights For All campaign, they’re working to further secure abortion rights and healthcare protections for all Oregonians
Civic Engagement: Building an Inclusive Democracy
A healthy democracy requires active civic participation. Everyone deserves a say in shaping our future. But too often marginalized communities face systemic barriers to voting and other forms of engagement. We're supporting the organizations below in their work to break down these barriers and create a truly inclusive system where everyone's voice is heard.
Oregon Futures Lab: Provides training and support for incoming leaders from marginalized communities on collaborative and inclusive governance models.
More Equitable Democracy: Promotes ranked-choice voting to create fairer, more representative electoral systems
Oregon State Voice: Amplifies the political power of BIPOC-led organizations across the state
Next Up Oregon: Fosters diverse young activists to achieve a more just and equitable Oregon
The Work Continues
No matter the outcome of our upcoming elections, the need for immigration reform, reproductive justice and inclusive elections will continue. These issues won’t be resolved overnight.
At Meyer, we remain committed to this work for the long haul, knowing that systemic change takes time, effort and sustained support.
Since we opened our complimentary event space, the Center for Great Purposes, in October 2023, it’s become a popular resource for many of our grantees. In the past year, we’ve hosted more than 80 events and welcomed over 1,300 community members into our space. We’ve had many organizations hold multiple events in the Center, and we’d love to see even more of our grantees take advantage of this flexible, complimentary event space.
Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking about holding a meeting, workshop, or community gathering in the Center:
Multi-Purpose Space
Located on the first floor of our Portland-based offices, the Center for Great Purposes is open to any Meyer grantee with an active grant. So long as it’s available, you can use the space as many times as you need, whether for a single event or a multi-day gathering. We don’t allow weekly repeating events at this time.
With a room that can accommodate up to 100 people, the Center is designed for flexibility. We’ve hosted everything from large gala receptions to small strategy meetings. Your rental comes with access to the event room, a pre-function area, an adjoining garden and a catering kitchen. Daytime street parking is available.
User-Friendly Tech
Our grantees consistently rave about our tech setup and its ease of use. The room comes with a Zoom-compatible TV wall, two microphones and a sound system. So, whether you’re hosting an in-person or hybrid meeting, the Center is ready to handle it. Also, for the less tech-savvy, someone on our team is always on hand to help with issues as they arise.
Catering and Layout Flexibility
We know that planning an event means juggling a lot of details. To make things easy, we keep our policies as flexible as possible.
We have an open catering policy. Feel free to bring your own food or work with the caterer of your choice. We are also happy to recommend some local caterers we’ve worked with before.
The Center is equipped with 24 rectangular tables and 100 chairs and can be set up in a few different ways to suit your needs. You can also bring in outside furniture, like bistro or dining tables. Just keep in mind that, while we’re happy to accommodate these options, we leave coordinating the logistics up to you.
If you’re bringing someone to film your event, let us know ahead of time to ensure there’s room for the extra equipment.
Looking to Book?
Currently, we can accommodate events Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reservations are filling up for the remaining months of 2024, with broader availability in the early months of 2025. I encourage folks to reach out at least a month in advance with a few date options.
To learn more, set up a tour or book the Center for your next event, contact us at reservations@mmt.org or call 503-228-5512.
What Grantees are Saying
“We’ve had the pleasure of hosting three significant events in the Center,” says Tai Love, development director at Portland Housing Center. “Each allowed us to bring together larger groups than our own space permits.”
“Latino Network held a training series for our program managers at Meyer’s Center for Great Purposes,” says Micaela Alvarez Orgambidez, agency project manager and fiscal support specialist. “It allowed us to offer a hybrid series where people could attend virtually or in person. I attended virtually and was impressed by the visual and audio quality.”
“It is such a blessing to have a space like this,” says Jenn Luevano-Brummett, community impact project manager at Social Venture Partners Portland. “We’ve used the Center for Great Purposes for various gatherings and it always reduces stress for planning, especially with the staff going above and beyond to ensure our events are successful.”
There’s a saying in Indian Country that goes, “If you’ve met with one tribe, you’ve met with one tribe.” This saying reveals an important truth: while the needs and priorities of each tribe can be similar, they can also be vastly different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
I was reminded of this recently while meeting with tribes throughout the region to build new relationships and strengthen long-standing ties. I, alongside a group of partners in philanthropy and government, spent the summer touring our region. We traveled to Warm Springs to meet with Dustin Seyler, the small business program manager for the Warm Springs Community Action Team. While taking us through the reservation, Dustin told us about how the lack of public gathering space had impacted the community. The once vibrant commissary had become in need of deep repair. With funding to restore this historic structure, the space would provide jobs and nourishment.
This summer, CEO Toya Fick and I met with Chairwoman Brenda Meade and other leaders of the Coquille Tribe. While walking through the halls of their early education offices and wellness center, I saw the care and compassion each person brought to serving their community. There, I learned how important it was for healthcare workers to provide culturally competent medical treatment and wellness services for their community.
Finding Community in this Work
In each of these visits, while grappling with questions of how our cross-sector coalition could better support tribes, I also felt an immense appreciation for the affinity with like-minded people.
As a citizen of MHA Nation (The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) who has held roles in government, nonprofits and philanthropy, I have found serving as a liaison for tribal relations can be lonely and progress, glacial. Balancing the needs of my community while navigating dominant cultural systems can be isolating. And yet, there are few things I take more pride in than being a Native leader.
I come from a long line of individuals who have strived to make an impact on behalf of Native communities. My grandma strived to create better systems within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. My auntie helped set mandates within the Bureau of Indian Education. My mom continues to serve tribes at the North Portland Area Indian Health Board. My dad lobbied and advocated on behalf of the Columbia River Treaty Tribes in D.C. While the list goes on and on, I’ve learned it's always important to take big swings on behalf of Native communities. And yet, at the same time, it's just as important to make the smaller efforts that improve the daily lives of all Indigenous peoples.
In our Tribal Funders Tour this summer, we were trying to build something that is oftentimes rare in this space: relationships and trust. By centering community, we’re continuing to build collective power.
In light of all of this, we at Meyer asked ourselves, “How could we respond to these vast needs and be accountable to our tribal partners?” Our answer: deeper investment and flexible funding.
Meyer’s approach to Native grantmaking reflects a shift toward recognizing the long-overdue need for equitable, intentional support of tribal sovereignty. Rooted in deep respect, a commitment to change and decades of groundwork, our strategy aims to decentralize our own role and center the voices, needs and priorities of sovereign tribal nations.
These needs and priorities have often been undervalued in a state founded upon the colonial notion of Manifest Destiny. Oregon’s history is laden with broken treaties, exploitation and genocide. Meyer’s Native grantmaking strategy attempts to address the broader power dynamics and historic harms that dominant institutions have inflicted on Indigenous communities.
Philanthropy has capitalized on the erasure of Indigenous peoples, as well as the seizure of their land for economic prosperity. We aim to be a thoughtful partner to tribes, acknowledging the complexity of tribal governance and the responsibility of philanthropy to work together in solidarity.
This year, Meyer will invest $2.25 million across Oregon’s nine federally-recognized tribes. This is the beginning of a sustained, flexible commitment to fund tribal priorities regardless of whether they align with Meyer’s other funding strategies. This isn’t about fit; it’s about honoring sovereignty. We recognize we need to better understand the nuances of each tribe's operating structures and priorities to make certain that Meyer's investment is making the desired impact. Alongside this, Meyer will continue to invest in organizations that support Native communities through our issue-based portfolios and strategic initiatives, which were also informed by our engagement with Native leaders. Investing in communities of color is central to our mission; it is part of our DNA.
To learn more about Meyer’s tribal grantmaking strategy, click here.
One of Many
Getting here has been no small undertaking. This work has evolved with contributions from both Native and non-Native leaders. I am incredibly grateful for our partners as well as current and former program and executive team members who have contributed their time and wisdom. Together, we are taking a vital step toward a more equitable and just future, where philanthropy supports Indigenous self-determination and tribal sovereignty, and honors the ancestral lands of Oregon’s first peoples.
As Gabe Sheoships (Cayuse/Walla Walla), the executive director of Friends of Tryon Creek, recently reminded me, “We’re all cogs in this wheel and it takes all of the cogs working together to turn it.”
Our team is back from the road after more than a dozen statewide info sessions. We're feeling very excited, a little exhausted and more inspired than ever by the work you're doing around Oregon. We wanted to share some of our favorite photos and a few notable numbers from our travels.
We held 13 info sessions across Oregon.
From Lincoln City to Redmond to Medford, our team traveled more than 1550 miles around the state. Due to wildfire smoke, we chose to move our session in La Grande from in-person to virtual. But we're planning a trip that way soon.
In total, 19 members of Meyer's team attended at least one info session.
We met with nearly 1000of you! Nine-hundred and ninety-five community members representing organizations from every corner of Oregon joined us to discuss Meyer's funding priorities and 2024 Funding Opportunity.
From donuts in Gresham to tacos in Woodburn, we shared more than 300 locally prepared meals with our attendees.
You weren't shy about asking questions!After each presentation and some general Q&A, we separated into smaller portfolio-specific groups to answer your more detailed questions.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in person or online for one of our Info Sessions. We appreciate the work you're doing every day to create a just and thriving Oregon for all of us.
I was talking to a friend recently about the moments in our lives where we felt part of something bigger than ourselves, larger than one person or organization. It’s a magical feeling — when change seems tangible and progress feels possible. (Truthfully, when you work on complex movements like racial justice, these special moments can feel pretty rare.)
Today feels like a part-of-something-special moment for Meyer Memorial Trust.
Last year, we offered a high-level look at our progress: new funding priorities that better express our mission to accelerate racial, social and economic justice for Oregon’s lands and peoples. Today, we can announce the specific goals and strategies that will guide our three issue-based priority areas: Our Resilient Places, Our Empowered Youth and Our Collective Prosperity.
Through Our Resilient Places, we will support work that builds power and capacity for frontline communities, helps us transition toward more regenerative economic policies and practices and affirms BIPOC communities' connection to place.
Under Our Collective Prosperity, we will focus on closing Oregon’s persistent racial wealth gap, holistically supporting families and caretakers and creating a just and equitable path to homeownership.
In Our Empowered Youth, we’ll continue our work reforming the education system to create opportunities for our most marginalized students and support educators and decision-makers who reflect the diversity of our students.
We are not under the illusion that it is the work of private foundations like Meyer to define what justice looks like. Rather, it is incumbent upon us, as part of the larger Oregon ecosystem, to follow the lead set by our grantees and partners.
That’s why our path to these goals and strategies included community-specific listening sessions, one-on-one interviews, robust literature reviews, panel presentations and more. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this process — especially our grantee partners for sharing your time, wisdom and expertise.
These new goals and strategies reflect what we heard from you about what our state needs and how we can move forward together.
An open call for proposals
I am excited to share that, in August, Meyer will hold an open call for proposals for these three portfolios with grantmaking funds totaling over $12 million. You’ve told us the value of reliable, unrestricted funding so we’re offering an option to apply for multi-year and general operating support grants. You can also apply for project-specific support or as part of a collaborative with other organizations. We will also continue to offer invite-only opportunities to groups working in the three portfolio areas.
(If your work falls outside these three portfolios, other Meyer funding will continue through our special initiatives.) We'll share more details about how to apply for the three portfolios in the coming weeks. In the meantime, sign up for our e-newsletter to ensure you’re getting the latest.
Hitting the road
We want to talk more about all of this in person. That’s why, this summer, my colleagues and I are hitting the road. Members of our team will be traveling across Oregon to meet with you and talk more about this funding opportunity and Meyer’s new focus. (We will also share this information through several virtual info sessions for folks who can’t meet us in person.)
We know that Meyer is just a small part of the larger work happening every day across our state and we’re excited to reconnect with organizations we’ve worked with for years and meet groups brand new to us. Our itinerary will be shared in the coming weeks.
Thank you
We know much has changed since Meyer’s last open call in the summer of 2021, while we were still at the height of the COVID pandemic. Most of us have returned to our offices, finding some semblance of a new normal. But we’ve also seen unprecedented attacks on racial justice, reproductive rights and the transgender community. As the world has changed, so have we. We experienced shifts in our leadership and staff and, like many of our grantee organizations, we had to find a new footing — one rooted in the justice values of our new mission.
During this period, Meyer never slowed or reduced our grantmaking — which continued primarily through invitation-only grants, renewals and special initiatives. But still, we have been anxious to open a funding opportunity to new programs and partners. This is a big moment we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Thank you for partnering with us on this journey.
As you heard last month from Vice President of Impact, Kim Melton, Meyer has been working to build the strongest program strategy we can, incorporating a mix of community voice, staff expertise and research from those who are walking the same path as we are — towards justice. One outcome from our learning journey has been that we now have three issues-based portfolios; Our Empowered Youth, Our Collective Prosperity and Our Resilient Places.
But our understanding of how change happens in the world compels us to come at the work from different angles. In addition to investments in topical areas, we must also take approaches that expressly focus on the root causes of injustice and foster the conditions necessary for transformational change and healing.
Meyer’s strategic initiatives represent another layer to our overall funding strategy. We’ve grouped a number of our ongoing funding efforts in this area, including the Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative and the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative. Our developing work in the Together, We Rise and Our Shared Purpose focus areas also live under the strategic initiatives banner, along with our emerging funding framework to formalize support for tribal nations.
The funding in these areas is not entirely new, but I want to share more about how we view this work alongside and in addition to Meyer’s issues-based portfolios.
Justice demands redress and repair
If we are serious about racial justice in this country, then our work must include explicit strategies to lift up and support redress, repair and thriving for Black and Native communities.
The compounding impacts of genocidal violence, the theft of land and labor and other atrocities committed against African and Indigenous peoples continue to show up in disaggregated data for most life outcomes today.
This is why our Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative is focused exclusively on priorities identified by an advisory committee of Black community members. Also, respecting tribal sovereignty means that Native nations don’t need to “fit” into Meyer’s other topically focused strategies to access support that is, simply put, owed to them.
Our funding must also include explicit strategies to support integration, belonging and thriving for immigrant and refugee communities. That is why Meyer has been a leading member of the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative since its founding in 2016.
Oregon, and our nation, has always been and continues to be buoyed, sustained and enriched in myriad ways by the labor and countless other contributions of immigrants and refugees. This is despite being excluded from many opportunities and benefits and being alternately disregarded and vilified for political purposes.
Justice requires shifting power
Long-term power building for communities most impacted by injustice is also part and parcel of working for transformational change. That is why our Together, We Rise initiative will support leadership development, civic engagement, organizing, movement building and field infrastructure. The focus here isn’t on particular issues, but on the capacity for collective action of an interconnected progressive movement, led by impacted communities, to achieve and hold onto wins. There is an emphasis on healthy democracy in this initiative and intersectional work that cuts across issues. That’s evident in the work of grantees like Oregon Futures Lab, Basic Rights Oregon, Rural Organizing Project, Oregon Donor Alliance, and Intersect to name just a few.
Justice requires collaboration
Systems of oppression run on division and separation, so dismantling them will require many forms of coming together. This is true for neighbors, communities, movements and, yes, funders. That is why Meyer will look for opportunities to partner with philanthropic peers and cross-sector entities to work with Shared Purpose. We can each bring the best of our particular resources to bear so that the whole of our effort can be greater than the sum of our well-intentioned individual actions.
Those who follow our grantmaking closely will notice that the themes of Meyer’s initiatives — support for Black, Native and immigrant and refugee communities, long-term power-building, and partnerships and collaboration – show up across our portfolios as well. Of course! These are so key that we’re intentional about a multi-layered approach, combining dedicated and diffused support.
We are so excited to move forward with grantmaking in initiatives, which will be by invitation only this year. Next month, Director of Programs and Policy, Nancy Haque will share more about Meyer’s issue-focused portfolios, which will start taking applications in late summer.
In his 1988 novel "Arrow of God,” Chinua Achebe quotes a well-known Igbo proverb that says “The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
He later talked about the power of that statement in Igbo culture, telling an interviewer that the masquerade represented all the motion of life — music, architecture, dance, writings, history, battle, politics — and that we must be ready and open to try something new.
“You are telling people not to get so deeply rooted in one thing that they don’t see the possibilities in change.”
Over the past seven months since I’ve joined the team at Meyer Memorial Trust, I’ve considered it a powerful opportunity to see my community and the possibilities to have a meaningful impact in new ways. After spending nearly 20 years in Portland as a journalist, non-profit advocate and leader in public policy and government, I have welcomed the opportunity to learn from each place I’ve been. It is critical to take the lessons from wherever we are — how to build policy and programs, how our success is intertwined with our community members and how moving with compassion, creativity and perseverance is vital.
That is the same attitude that we’ve taken at Meyer as we’ve sought to complete the redesign of our program portfolios and grantmaking strategy.
Just as important as where we land and what we focus on is what kind of path we are taking to get there and the voices guiding our journey. Taking the time to engage with our community members, leaders, grantees, partners, staff and the learnings from research have all been important parts of the process. Among the major themes that we’ve heard:
From community input sessions: A holistic approach
One key through-line was to see our families, neighbors and children in holistic ways — that it’s as important to build tools, strength and skills as it is to invest in belonging, healing and power for communities that have been consistently denied access and opportunity.
From our grantees: Deeper investments, deeper relationships
We heard consistently the need for sustainable investments that result in deeper capacity building, collaboration and leadership development.
From research with our peers: Advance policy change and implementation
The promising and proven practices around philanthropy’s contribution to positive community change requires a committed focus on policy, advocacy and systems change in balance with program support.
From our staff: Center community voices
The staff at Meyer who have walked in the field with grantees over the past years have richly contributed their learnings to our design as well, calling us to center first the voices of our community and let those insights anchor us.
I could go on listing recommendations and feedback, dreams and demands. What we’ve been doing and are continuing to do is build the strongest program strategy we can with racial, social and economic justice as our through-line and community impact as our goal. We are looking at areas of opportunity, insight, alignment and where we can push ourselves to do more.
In the upcoming months, Nancy Haque, director of programs and policy will share more details about our three portfolios organized by issue area: Our Empowered Youth, Our Collective Prosperity and Our Resilient Places.
In addition to funding across our portfolios, we have grantmaking that supports key initiatives — community specific and culturally specific efforts as well as partnerships and coalitions, and movement building investments. The overarching goal is to ensure our Oregon environment is one where those most impacted by decisions have the time, tools and support to be part of our democracy and help shape what Oregon will become. Next month, you’ll get to hear more about this work from Erin Dysart, managing director of strategic initiatives.
Our aim is to take all we’ve been learning and put it into action for our state. Later this summer, our team will be traveling around Oregon to share more information about our work, answer questions and be in community.
