Washington Women’s Foundation Elects Five New Directors to Board

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At its annual meeting yesterday, Washington Women’s Foundation members elected five new board directors and re-elected two current directors to a new term beginning January 1, 2011.

“We are fortunate to have such an accomplished group join our board and help guide the strategic direction and priorities of the foundation.”

Joining the Washington Women’s Foundation board in January as new directors will be:

Kathy Edwards, vice chair of the Foundation’s Finance Committee; board President of Cedarmere Foundation; serving on PATH’s Development Committee, on Women’s Funding Alliance’s Nominating Committee, and on Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest’s Investment Committee.

Carrie George, past Chair of the Foundation’s Grant Committee and current Co-Chair of Discovery Days; Mercer Island School Board member from 2001-2005, with two years as Board President; principal at Inviso, a management consulting practice.

Martha Kongsgaard, president of the Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation; chair of the Puget Sound Partnership; board member of IslandWood, Earthjustice and Cascade Agenda.

Kaycee Krysty, Chief Executive Officer of Laird Norton Tyee; named among Puget Sound Business Journal's Women of Influence in 2006; board member of the YWCA.

Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, MD, active medical staff at Swedish Hospital and the VA Medical Center; a faculty member at the UW School of Nursing; volunteer physician for the Center for Multicultural Health; past Trustee of Childhaven.

“All five of these women are distinguished leaders who have made many meaningful contributions to our community,” said Anne Farrell, Washington Women’s Foundation board chair. “We are fortunate to have such an accomplished group join our board and help guide the strategic direction and priorities of the foundation.”

Re-elected to new three-year terms are the following two current directors:

Rhoda Altom, immediate past board chair and member of the Finance and Governance Committees at the Foundation; member of the YWCA Endowment Guild, past president of the YWCA board; member of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund board, trustee of Seattle Children’s Hospital, recipient of the 2010 Washington State University Distinguished Alumna award; president of Milestone Properties.

Gail Ransom, chair of the Resource Development Committee; board member, Rainier Scholars and Peach Foundation; past board member of United Way of King County, North Seattle Community College and the Providence Medical Center Foundation; principal of Ransom Development Services.

Washington Women’s Foundation members submitted nominations for the new directors. A slate of candidates was approved by the board in September and then voted on by the membership. Nineteen directors will serve on the Foundation board in 2011. For a complete listing of board members, visit the Foundation’s website.

At the annual meeting, President Carla Lewis presented an overview of the organization’s 2010 financial performance, community impact and key milestones. “This year affirmed our strong traditions and saw the launch of exciting new initiatives as we embark on a new Strategic Plan,” she told members. “Our fundamental financial and organizational strength positions us to achieve more for our members, more for women’s leadership in philanthropy and more for our community.”

This year, Washington Women’s Foundation achieved a milestone of over $10 million in cumulative community funding over the past 15 years. In 2010 alone, the Foundation members will commit nearly $900,000 in pooled and individual grants to local nonprofits. The Foundation’s collective giving model – in which members combine their giving dollars to create a pool of $475,000 for major impact – identified five nonprofit organizations to receive impact grants of $85,000 - $100,000.

About Washington Women’s Foundation

The mission of Washington Women’s Foundation is to educate and expand the number of women engaged in philanthropy, and to build and strengthen community through individual and large impact grants. The foundation’s members, now more than 500 strong, have invested $10 million of their own resources in nonprofit organizations across Washington State since 1996 ($5.2 million in pooled grants; $4.8 million in individual grants). Membership is open to all women interested in philanthropy. For more information, visit www.wawomensfoundation.org.