Last week, 39 of us gathered for our New Member Welcome at McMenamins Kennedy School. We chatted over spinach and goat cheese salad, sparkling water, and chocolates curated by Girlfriend Melissa C. While mingling, new member Sarah T. shared that Melissa officiated her wedding last year. And Sonjaly S. shared that she was introduced to ninety-nine girlfriends by Tammy W., whose husband is one of Sonjaly’s colleagues.
The program began with introductions from Michelle Hynes, a founding member and the Fellows Program lead; Pip Meagher, a founding member and chair of the Governing Board; CeCe Petrick., a Fellow and PSU intern; and Tammy Wilhoite, chair of the Coordinating Council and Operations Committee.
The group welcomed a few questions to start things off. “How long until we get to learn the secret handshake?” prompted the whole room to burst into laughter and created a friendly opening for the next part of the evening.
Next, we broke into groups to explore our personal relationships with philanthropy. Debbie H., a returning member, shared that her donor-advised fund has been a meaningful and rewarding way for her to give. She also noted that ninety-nine girlfriends has helped her discover and connect with organizations she might not have found otherwise. Laurie D., a member of a grant review team, spoke about wanting to be more intentional with her giving, aiming to make a bigger, more consistent impact over time.
Our second breakout encouraged reflection on personal moments of action—“What have you done because you felt something wasn’t right?” And “What organizations inspire you to give?” New member Debbie E. spoke about her background as an emergency responder and her deep admiration for World Central Kitchen’s work. Former park ranger Linda D. shared her lifelong passion for the environment, noting that she founded the Mendocino Coast chapter of the Audubon Society. Heidi D. spoke movingly about her family’s experience with Ronald McDonald House, which supported them during her son’s childhood illness. She emphasized how volunteerism became a shared family passion after that experience.
The evening wrapped up with Q&A. Tammy, Pip, and Michelle shared information about volunteering, grantmaking, member voting, and the Meet the Finalists and Awards Celebration events. We left feeling more rooted in the ninety-nine girlfriends community and energized by all of the meaningful conversations.
This article has been corrected to show Melissa as the wedding officiant. A previous version incorrectly identified that individual as Michelle H.