HOW WE STARTED

Ninety-nine girlfriends was started on a dare. Co-founders Eileen Brady and Deborah Edward met for the first time at a social event in SE Portland in Spring of 2015. Deborah was relatively new to Portland, having moved here in 2012 from Austin, TX. Eileen had been involved in Portland issues for a very long time. In a conversation in the kitchen (of course! where else do women gather?) Deborah said Portland didn’t compare to Austin from a philanthropy perspective. She said, for example, that a woman in Austin had pulled together a group of a hundred women to each give $1,000 and collectively select one organization to receive a $100,000 grant to jump start a big project. Eileen's Portland pride got the better of her and she said we could do this in Portland. They dared each other not to leave the party without committing to starting the project. A group of five or six women gathered around, heard the idea, and all put their hands together and "shook on it." Together they started the ninety-nine girlfriends giving circle, a group of friends that collectively support our community.  With lots of input from the Women's Collective Giving Grantmakers Network (now known as Philanos), the Washington Women's Foundation, the Women's Foundation of Oregon, their friend Jinx Faulkner and a kitchen cabinet of advisors that gave great advice to the three of them, they launched the project in 2016. 

FOUNDERS' CIRCLE

All members who signed up for the 2016 cycle are considered Founders' Circle members. Thank you all!

Andra Georges
Anina Estrem
Anne Myrthue
Austin Raglione
Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hilyer
Benna Gottfried
Betsy Rickles
Betty Friedman
Brittany Daggett
Carmen Calzacorta
Carol Blanusa
Carol Edelman
Chari Smith
Christy Eugenis
Cindy Thompson
Claudia Hollister-Stearman
Courtney Mersereau
Cristina Watson
Deborah Edward
Deborah Kane
Denise Grimes
Diane Homes
Diane Kantor
Donna Neusch
Duck Holland
Eileen Brady
Eileen O'Neill Odum
Erin Zollenkopf
Fahti Rabizadeh Yamin
Gale Elkins
Gayla May
Georgia Lampros Obradovich
Gina Condon
Gun Denhart
Halle Sadle
Heidi Yorkshire
Holly Cook
Holly Vaughn-Edmonds
Jane Carlsen
Jane Lininger
Janet Williams
Jen Maxwell-Muir
Jenna Besaw
Jennifer Leonard
Jennifer Tiana

Jill Nelson
Jinx Faulkner
Joan Allen
Joan Fondell
Joan Peters
Julia Brim-Edwards
Julie Mancini
Karin Fishel
Karen Kuhn
Karen Rich
Kari Easton
Kate Merrill
Kathleen Haley
Kathleen McCarthy
Kathleen Nedelisky
Kathryn Madison
Kathy Masarie
Keeley Tillotson
Kimberly Howard
Kimberly Vine
Kristen Beiers-Jones
Laura Rogers
Linda Blaydon Olson
Linda Raveaux
Lisa Adatto
Lisa Pearlstein
Lisa Sedlar
Lisa C. Smith
Lisa Zuniga
Lourri Hammack
Lyn Bonyhadi
Lynn Fletcher
Manisha Thakor
Margaret Baker
Maria Marks
Marie Jorajuria
Marilyn Soljaga
Marnie Frank
Mary Beiers Johnson
Mary Faulkner
Maura Koehler-Hanlon
May Chang
Michelle Hunt
Michelle Hynes
MJ Steen
Molly Cliff Hilts

Morley Knoll
Nancy Hamilton
Nancy Johnson
Natalie Miller
Nicole Kurosaki
Pam Hayes
Patti Costello
Pip Meagher
Priscilla Hastedt
Rhonda Rizzo
Robin May
Robin Selig
Roslyn Gray
Sarah Ryan
Serena Cruz
Shelley Laurance
Stephanie Hooper
Susan Bishop
Susan Ehrman
Susan Mersereau
Susan Stoltenberg
Susan Wright
Tina Lee Lam
Tracy Wiens
Trudy Sargent