By Maria Kolby-Wolfe, President & CEO of WaWF

Incredibly, we’re setting out for another trip around the sun together! I want to take a moment to thank you all for being part of this shared path. If the first two weeks of this year are any sign, we are once more living through some historic times. I admit I could do with a bit less history-making for now, but I do find comfort in remembering that the strength of being part of a community means we don’t have to face whatever challenges or opportunities coming our way alone. 2025 promises to be an exciting year for the Washington Women’s Foundation and by extension, for all of us. Who knows? We might even make a little history of our own! 

As I mentioned during our Annual Meeting in October (if you missed it or are new to us, you can watch the recording here) this year will be one of deep reflection and strategic thinking for WaWF. With our 30th Anniversary of grantmaking on the horizon, your WaWF board and I feel it is the perfect moment to take a step back and consider where we want to go in the next five, ten, or even thirty years. 

In light of this realization, the board has launched a new strategic planning process for the foundation. This will be a thorough and thoughtful examination over the next few months of all aspects of our work together—what we cherish about the foundation and want to preserve, what we might want to see evolve, and whether there are areas that should sunset. It’s entirely possible that after this process, we’ll decide to stay the course as we are—but we also recognize that as a diverse, multi-generational collective, there may be areas we need to transform to better meet the needs of the many kinds of philanthropic action women in our community are interested in taking. 

This is where you come in. We want your input! Throughout this process, we’ll be reaching out for your thoughts—whether through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or member forums. Your voice is critical as we shape the future of WaWF together. The first forum is already open for registration, and you can sign up here. We hope you’ll join us and share your perspective. 

In the meantime, everything is moving forward as we continue to support our mission. Our Collective Grants Committee had their kickoff this week, other member committees are also forming and getting to work, and exciting events and programs are in the pipeline. You can sign up for our 101 panels on this year’s various Collective Grant topics, get registered for our rescheduled “Tour-In-Place” Pacific Northwest Civil Rights Tour, and some engaging activities (like eating chocolate!) hosted by our Member Experience Team on our events page. All these events, and more, can be found on our Upcoming Events page. 

Here’s to a wonderful New Year, and may it be historically meaningful and inspirational for all of us here at WaWF! 

Warmly, 
Maria