Community Endowment

We have posted a new informational video on YouTube about the Community Endowment. Got questions? Maybe this will answer them! Click here to check it out.

The Community Endowment has a Fund Advisory Committee!

We are thrilled to announce that a Fund Advisory Committee has been developed for the Community Endowment! It is a great group with members from all parts of the county, all age groups, etc. We hope that their diverse backgrounds will make them a great decision-making body and we're sure they'll be great for the fund. If you see these folks around town, congratulate them and thank them for being a part of this important project!

Bill Finney, Chair

Bill was born in Denver and has lived in Joseph for many years, running the Bronze Antler B&B with his wife and working at the hospital. Bill has experience working with Wallowa County Business Facilitation and owning his own business that will help him in his work with the community endowment. Bill says he's most excited about helping Wallowa County grow and be attractive for young people.

Liza Strickland, Vice-Chair

Liza was born and raised in Joseph and has recently moved back to the area after living in various places and finishing degrees in Finance and Education at the University of Idaho. Liza was named Tourism Leader of the Year in 2005 by the Wallowa County Chamber and brings diverse background in fundraising, education, and more to the committee. Liza says that she's most excited about helping the community in becoming even stronger for future generations.

Tom Bingham, Treasurer

Tom was born in Spokane and moved to Joseph a few years ago from Salt Lake City where he worked as a senior analyst for Zions Bancorp. He brings to the committee significant experience working with committees and has a strong background in accounting and technology. Tom is most excited about serving on the committee for its opportunity for local people to help local needs.

Brenda Sullivan, Secretary

Brenda moved to Flora several years ago after serving as an educator for 37 years in the Lewiston School Districts. She has great organizational skills and enjoys being involved in community activities. Brenda says, "I can see the potential for making life in our county more enjoyable and for making a difference in the lives of people of all ages."

Silje Christoffersen

Although Silje takes the cake for farthest birthplace (Africa!), she has spent the rest of her life living on Alder Slope. An active student, Silje is the Sophomore class president, Secretary for the Enterprise FFA Chapter, vice president of the Nez Perce Riders 4H Horse Club, and plays just about every sport Enterprise High School offers! Silje is looking forward to giving input from a high school student's perspective and fundraising for new opportunities.

Kaye Garver

Another Denver-born committee member, Kaye lived all over Oregon through her work as a Methodist minister before landing here in Wallowa County. As the pastor for the Wallowa and Joseph Methodist Churches, Kaye has served on the Board of Trustees for the OR/ID United Methodist Conference, Wallowa Lake UMC Camp & Retreat Center Site Team, as well as participating with the Wallowa Valley Orchestra and the SMART reading program. Kaye is most excited about being able to help individuals and groups in the county to be active in the future of the county.

Richard Hobbs

While working as an attorney in Lostine, Richard has kept himself very busy! He has served on the boards of Community Solutions (for-profit branch of Wallowa Resources) and the MidValley Theatre Company (also acting in many of their productions), as well as being an OddFellows member and member of the Wallowa County Bar Association and Oregon State Bar. Richard prides himself on thinking outside the box and being detail-oriented, and is excited for the endowment to create a means for the community to give to itself.

Bill Wiliams

Another Wallowa Valley native, Bill was born and raised in Joseph and currently works for the Farm Service Agency. He has served on a variety of boards and committees and thinks his greatest strength is being a good listener - a great quality in any arena! Bill is most excited about serving on the committee because he thinks the endowment might be a solution to making sure Wallowa County remains viable.

Deborrah Reth

Deborrah is serving as an alternate with Nora Hawkins, both residents of the Wallowa area. Deborrah works as an EMT using her expertise to manage a medical team during fire season, also working with Wallwoa County Search & Rescue, Safe Harbors, and as a R6 Incident Medical Specialist. She brings to the group an in-depth understanding of many of the community's needs and services and is excited about the endowment's potential to increase community sustainability and stability.

Nora Hawkins

Nora is serving as an alternate with Deborrah Reth. Born and raised in Wallowa, Nora has worked in a variety of capacities in Wallowa County, as a brewer, mountain guide, wrangler, and farmer. She is a graduate of the Ford Family Leadership program and will be an asset to the committee because of her diverse acquaintances in all parts of Wallowa County and her knowledge of agriculture, both small and large. She says she is excited because she believes the endowment holds great potential for Wallowa County.

Thanks again to all of the Fund Advisory Committee members for serving their community and this fund!

More info on the Endowment:

Below is information on the endowment and the great impacts it will have on Wallowa County.

Wallowa Community Endowment Info Sheet

Information about community endowments in other places

Number One Goal for the Endowment?

Based on community input received so far, the number one goal for a Wallowa County community endowment will be to improve and diversify the local economy while maintaining the rural lifestyle and the collaborative small-town nature that makes the county so unique.

A copy of our recent press release below provides more information on the community input process.

Couldn't attend a meeting and want to share your ideas about a community endowment?

In an an effort to gain input from people who were not able to attend a community endowment focus group meeting, we have assembled the questions that we asked at those meetings and are offering them in this easy-to-use form: Wallowa County Community Input Form

A paper form is also available from the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District. Call 426-3598 or email anniethompson@neoedd.org if you would like a paper copy or if you have any questions!

Community Outreach Provides Roadmap for Future Funding Resource

Rural communities have long struggled to adapt to changes in the economy, underemployment, outmigration of young people, and loss of direction towards a positive future. In Wallowa County, these daunting challenges are matched by an equally strongly felt sense of commitment to this place. Over the past month, more than 50 residents have attended meetings to share the most important aspects of life in Wallowa County and to define the goals residents have for its future.

Citizens recited again and again the virtues of life in this small county, from the way the whole community takes part in raising the children, to the way people enjoy helping each other. One attendee remembered when his family moved to Imnaha and he immediately fell ill. The entire community planted their crops and took care of his family, saying “When you need to, you take an apple out of the barrel, and when you can, you put a couple of apples in.”

The meetings, sponsored by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD), were designed to gain input for a new community endowment for Wallowa County. A community endowment is a fund that is built by local residents and used for local programs and projects.

An independent local advisory committee will make funding decisions through an open community grant application process and decisions will be based on the goals and priorities defined by the community in last month’s meetings. NEOEDD is currently asking for applications from people interested in serving on the fund advisory committee, with applications due April 1st. More information is available on the NEOEDD website, http://www.neoedd.org.

In last month’s meetings, residents stated that the primary goal for the endowment should be to improve and diversify the local economy while maintaining the rural lifestyle and the collaborative small-town nature that makes the county so unique.

“Creating this future requires continued investment in Wallowa County’s strengths and a commitment to pursuing new ways of overcoming challenges,” says Annie Thompson of NEOEDD. “With an endowment, this community will have choices about how to create that future. Without an endowment, choices become more limited and decisions can more easily be influenced by outside sources. The beauty of locally controlled funding, compared to a federal grant or a grant from an outside organization, is that the community decides how to spend it. The community gains the control to help guide its direction and its destiny.”

Endowment funding could be used to fund to local organizations or schools providing, for example, scholarships for students who plan on returning to the community to start businesses, additional programming in the schools, seed capital to purchase a community forest, or support for small business development. Feedback from the meetings also highlighted finding sustainable ways to utilize natural resources and maintaining and developing recreational opportunities like Ferguson Ridge Ski Area or a community pool.

“A community endowment will fundamentally affect the future of Wallowa County,” says Thompson, “by giving the county a tool to impact how this community should grow and change.” For more information on how to become involved in the endowment, contact Thompson at 541-426-3598 or anniethompson@neoedd.org.

David Cook and Julia Lakes discuss the Community Endowment