An Announcement from Kendall Clawson

Dear GOSW Members…

I hope that you are all enjoying the spring and that you are finding your new rhythms as we rebalance from our COVID existences. As the spring typically exemplifies, there is new growth and change happening all around us, and I am writing to share some news of growth and change with all of you.

Last week, I notified the GOSW Board of Directors that I would be resigning from my position as President & CEO of Grantmakers of Oregon & SW Washington. This was a difficult decision to make as I have valued being a part of our philanthropic community, especially during such a tumultuous year. But I also know that there are moments in our lives when what we have dreamed and imagined for ourselves as professionals come into alignment. I believe that this is that moment for me.

Beginning in September 2021, I am excited to join the team at Group Health Foundation as Portfolio Director with a focus on leadership. In my role, I will work in partnership with the CEO, program staff, and community leaders to shape an ambitious leadership and power-building strategy to advance health equity and community aspirations in Washington state. I will work to identify innovative opportunities to leverage the Foundation’s status as a 501(c)(4) organization and help build an ecosystem of connected leaders and organizations working for equity and justice. I will also co-lead local, regional, and statewide efforts to strengthen the skills and talents of nonprofit leaders, Foundation staff, and community partners. And I will develop approaches to create a growing network of collaborators working to unite their communities through trust-building, relationship development, shared analysis, and reflective practices. Leadership and equity work has been an integral part of my career for the past ten years, and the opportunity to help reimagine leadership in communities is what I have dreamed of doing for a very long time. The good news is that I will likely remain in our region, so I won’t be going far and will still be a part of our local community.

I will remain in my role as the CEO of GOSW until the end of July where I will remain committed to supporting the work that you do to uplift communities throughout our region. The most important thing that I hope to convey to all of you in this message is that GOSW is in a strong and stable place and we are dedicated to maintaining your confidence in your investments in our organization. Our staff continues to be amazing and they will be steady partners to you as we navigate this transition. Our Board of Directors is connected, organized, and prepared, and they have already begun our transition planning process. They are working collaboratively on both a timeline and a job description that we will share with our entire community very soon. So any worries that you might have about the state of affairs at GOSW should be assuaged by the knowledge that we have a strong and functional team that can securely hold our space while modeling a method of leadership that also celebrates growth and opportunity for one of its own.

As I embark on this new journey, I want to thank you for all of your support while I led the growth and restructuring of GOSW. Everything that we do is driven by your partnership, and I look forward to remaining engaged in our collective work as we look towards the future.

All the best,

Kendall Clawson
GOSW President & CEO