North Dakota Women's Foundation Launched! 
   
   
 
Merle Chambers		 Six people have been selected to serve on the first advisory board of the new North Dakota Women’s Foundation. They are: Tara Holt, Bismarck, Chairman; Merle Chambers, Denver; Cynthia Phillips, Fargo; LeAnne Rafferty, Beach; Janet Wentz, Minot; and Dorreen Yellowbird, Grand Forks. 
 

Back row: Tara Holt, LeAnne Rafferty, Kevin Dvorak, Cher Hersrud (Director, Resource Center); Front row: Cynthia Phillips, Amy Kliniske (Dev. Director, NDCF), Letty Bass (Executive Dir., Chambers Family Foundation), Dorreen Yellowbird.		 The board will work to build the endowment and direct grant-making decisions. Preliminary work has been to identify goals and priorities as the new Foundation unfolds. The foundation will work to: 
 

  • Create an endowment that will ensure the Foundation’s role as a leader in enhancing the lives of women and girls in North Dakota for generations to come.

  • Remove the barriers that discourage women and girls from attaining economic self-sufficiency and realizing opportunities.

  • Develop and support programs that change the systems that create these barriers.

  • Nurture leaders, identify mentors, create networks and encourage philanthropists.

  • Expand the role of women in philanthropy. 
  The initial tasks at hand for the new Foundation are to identify organizations serving women and girls in North Dakota and to raise matching funds. In preparation for eventual grant-making, the Foundation is building a database of organizations serving women and girls in North Dakota. 
  The North Dakota Women’s Foundation is an endowed fund of the North Dakota Community Foundation. The Women’s Foundation is the result of efforts by the North Dakota Community Foundation and Chambers Family Fund, a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Chambers Family Fund will match up to $500,000 over five years as a challenge to raise an equal amount to establish the North Dakota Women’s Foundation as a permanent fund of $1 million. The principal remains invested with the Community Foundation, while yearly income earned by the endowment will be made available for grants. Contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.