We’re Weathering the Same Storm, We’re Not All in the Same Boat

A message from our President & CEO Jesse Beason

These are trying and uncertain times. This virus has laid bare that our health, economy and democracy are inextricably linked. And it’s made clear that whether we’re Black or white, Latino or Asian, Native or newcomer, we’re all in this together.

But COVID-19 is also highlighting what was already true—while we’re weathering the same storm, we’re not all in the same boat.

While I type this in my makeshift office, my partner is at our dining room table fighting to make sure it’s not just the squeaky wheel getting the grease. He works in public education. Every day, it’s the kids that have laptops, wi-fi and parents with time and money that are successfully navigating this new learning space. But what about the kids whose housing and a chance at three meals a day has been taken by this virus? The kids who don’t have access to a computer or reliable internet? We’re failing them. And given our country's past, it's not surprising these kids are less likely to be white.

The same goes for adults. Black, Native and other people of color—across urban and rural communities—are more likely to be laid off or confined to dangerous jobs that cannot be done from home, denied proper protective equipment, and faced with barriers to adequate treatment and care.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can pull through by pulling together as we’ve done in the past. All of us. Together. We define what possible means.

Over the coming months, the choices we make as individuals can reflect the best of what we know this region and country can be, where we look out for one another no matter our differences. The choices our governments make at this moment can do the same, setting a better course for the future of our communities. That course can’t just be a return to business as usual. We know that business as usual left too many of our neighbors behind.

There are proven solutions to the problems we face both in this crisis and those that existed before it. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help our leaders and our communities seek those solutions out. I hope you’ll join us in that effort. Because the future—our future—is what we do together.

May you, your families and communities be well. And may all of us rise to meet what this moment requires of us.

A Look Ahead: Changes at Northwest Health Foundation

There are few institutions more privileged than philanthropy. Such privilege can make us think we have the luxury of time and an infinite amount of resources. We know neither are true. 

We recognize that when it comes to health, too many of our friends, family and neighbors don't have the luxury of time. Historic and current injustices mean Indigenous and Black people, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and many others face the biggest barriers to wellbeing and have for far too long already. NWHF has been evolving to focus on the bold steps needed to truly advance health for everyone in our region. 

We’re also evolving because we know our cash assets are not infinite and, in our minds, they don’t belong to us. They belong to our mission. Since 2012, this has meant making structural changes to manage our endowment for perpetuity while still increasing grantmaking. It also means, as I first mentioned back in January, further staff changes as we wind down grant programs that we've managed in partnership with other contributors.

This isn’t news to us, as we’ve been preparing for these changes over many years. But it might be news to you. Over the next ten months, we will reorganize our team. We will say goodbye to beloved colleagues whose impact on our work will last well beyond their time at NWHF. We will also hire for some new roles. (Curious? You can view our 2020 organizational chart.)

Some of the ways we do our work will shift. We will rely more on content experts outside of NWHF to support grantees in capacity building. But plenty will stay the same: our steadfast commitment to being a good partner to grantees, rolling up our sleeves when required, and coming alongside community-based work when we’re asked to.

Regardless of how long we’ve been preparing, these changes are not without difficulty or sadness. We make them with our mission in mind and in our effort to remain a small but mighty foundation focused on action. 

Yours,

Jesse Beason, President & CEO

President's Message - September 2012

Northwest Health Foundation President Nichole Maher shares the Foundation’s current process of examining it’s potential role in helping create the next healthiest generation. While the Foundation’s core principles will not change, over the next six months, the board and staff will be looking at new ways to achieve the most impact in our work.