Bi-Weekly Recap: July 26, 2021

By Board of Trustees Bi-Weekly Recap

July 26, 2021 Greetings WESTAF Community: Wowza — already time for another biweekly! So much outstanding activity in all corners of the organization these past few weeks. This time of the year, we’re deep in planning for FY22, and the Mackenzie Scott gift we received recently has added a wonderful, if complex, dimension to our thinking. In addition to the planning that we’ll be doing in various upcoming meetings and retreats (see below), this article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy by Bianca Casanova Anderson has also kept us grounded and inspired. Additionally, we’ve been thinking a lot about mission-aligned investing…

Read More

Bi-Weekly Recap: July 12, 2021

By Board of Trustees Bi-Weekly Recap

July 12, 2021 Dear WESTAF team and trustees: Hope everyone has been able to find some shade or otherwise beat the heat in the sweltering west this summer. Before I go ahead and jump right in, I just want to convey continuing appreciation to my WESTAF colleagues who regularly contribute to this update — thanks, guys! Here we go: WESTAF ENDORSES CREATIVE ECONOMY REVITALIZATION ACT TO BE INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS (DH) WESTAF has endorsed a piece of legislation, the Creative Economy Revitalization Act, which is due to be introduced by U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM). The bill seeks $300m…

Read More

Bi-Weekly Recap: June 28, 2021

By Board of Trustees Bi-Weekly Recap

Dear WESTAF community: Oh my gosh! We’re just a few days out from the beginning of Q4! Where did the year go?! If you feel like I do, you are bubbling over with pride about the superb work that WESTAF is doing right now in granting and advocacy, as well as across our business platforms. If you read on below, you’ll learn more about our real-world impact as an essential regional and federal advocate as we secure and distribute funds across the western states while making sure our collective voices are heard in Washington DC, as well. On the business…

Read More

Bi-Weekly Recap: June 14, 2021

By Board of Trustees Bi-Weekly Recap

  Greetings WESTAF trustees and staffers: It’s hard to believe that we are heading into the home stretch of the third quarter of FY21. Holy Moly — where does the time go?! At WESTAF, FY22 budget planning is already well underway, and in Denver, after a soggy May, the June heat has been merciless! Before we jump into this biweekly, I wanted to give a big “thank you” to the celebration committee for organizing a WESTAF summer staff party last week — a virtual paint n’ sip. Masterpieces were produced, libations were imbibed, and by all accounts, loads of fun…

Read More