Voices from the Field

In mid-March, as the scope and gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) moved nearly 100% of our staff to remote workplaces at the very moment our work increased in urgency and complexity. The pace of change and dramatic shift in service delivery is something none of us had ever experienced. I have been humbled by the… Read More

Fourth generation Hoffberger family members gathered in April to begin the final phase of their foundation’s strategic planning process that started nine months ago with GMA Foundations consultant Amy Shorey. The world has changed since then, yet the themes that connect current trustees with previous generations of their family, and with the communities they love, have not. Seven Hoffberger brothers… Read More

My children are too young to understand COVID-19 or its global impact. All they know is that their mum and dad are at home, working far more hours than usual. When they are older, we will tell them about the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that we can tell them that we persevered. They can learn about the families that spent… Read More

In the past few weeks, we have been inundated with information about how philanthropy can respond to this pandemic. Many emergency and collaborative funds are being formed by reputable intermediaries, making it easier to get money into the hands of those who need it most. It’s heartening to see the clear and consistent messages coming from all parts of the sector: assure your grantee partners that you have their back; keep your funding flexible; support both immediate needs and long-term recovery; and focus on the most vulnerable. We’ve learned these lessons from other crises and need to apply them now… Read More

The Chinese city where the new coronavirus became endemic in January—Wuhan, in Hubei Province—lifted its 76-day lockdown on Wednesday, April 8. About 65,000 people were expected to leave Wuhan to meet their families or go back to their work place by train and plane. While the whole country is celebrating the unlocking of Wuhan and embracing a normal life we… Read More