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Foundation hires new employees
by Jaymee R. Cuti
t wasn’t a massive walkout that caused
Equity Foundation to lose two-thirds of
its staff in recent months. In fact, this
organization, known for keeping a lean
| i administration, only lost two employees
to create the turnover.
“We are fortunate to have two people com­
ing in who are highly skilled to keep us moving
in a positive direction,” said Linda Traeger,
executive director at Equity Foundation.
The philanthropic giving organization serv­
ing the sexual minorities community lost its
AIDSWalkO5
Annette Hogue, the new marketing and
development coordinator, came to Equity from
the corporate world. She has 15 years of experi­
ence in business, most recently in information
technology at Weyerhaeuser, which was
acquired by a Fortune 500 company. She also
has Web experience and will manage Equity’s
site.
“1 left the corporate world because I wanted
to enter the nonprofit world to make a differ­
ence, especially with this uncertain political cli­
mate,” said Hogue, who is a lesbian.
From left, Equity Foundation's staff is Annette Hogue, Linda Traeger and Amy Williams.
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marketing and development coordinator,
Jedidiah Chavez, early in the summer and
Christa Orth, a three-year Equity veteran, last
month.
“They were career-growth opportunities for
both people,” said Traeger about what*she
describes as amicable departures.
Chavez returned to the education sector,
which has been a primary interest in his career,
as the director of communications for Western
States Chiropractic College.
Orth joined the team at Reach Community
Development as the resource development
coordinator.
The replacements are already on post, to the
relief of a flustered Traeger.
“It’s made me have to be a little more focused
in understanding how things are done,” she said.
“I’ve had to step in and learn the nitty-gritty.”
Amy Williams joins Equity as the new grants
and development coordinator. She is a lesbian,
a mom, a native Oregonian and a former coor­
dinator at the LGBT Community Center in
Seattle.
“I have a passion for working in the LGBT
community and somewhere that values diversi­
ty and gives back to the community,” said
Williams.
Williams is the human face interacting with
grantee organizations. She leads the grants com­
mittee; is the point person for the Investments
in Dignity benefit auction Feb., 16, 2006, at the
Governor Hotel; and leads workplace giving
campaigns.
The organization is using this time of tran­
sition to launch some new campaigns and is
conducting a “perception survey” about the
agency’s visibility. The survey results, which
are being collected now, will help Equity
refresh its image, a duty Hogue will steer.
Hogue is also leading the launch of Growing
Our Community, an annual campaign drive
that aims to raise $250,000 by the end of the
year. Equity bolstered the campaign by handing
out seed packets and donation information at
Pride events in Portland, Salem, Coos Bay,
Eugene, Ashland and Vancouver, Wash.
Equity has more than doubled the number
of education scholarship funds it facilitates,
with the addition of two new scholarship
programs through the Portland Area Busi­
ness Association and Kaiser Permanente and
the reactivation of the Just Out Scholarship
Fund.
“We really are continuing to expand the
number of people who are marking their dol­
lars by giving through Equity," Traeger said.
Donors who give through Equity Founda­
tion may earmark their funds to categories
including arts/culture, human dignity,
health/social services and youth/families. All
organizations that receive gifts from Equity
have aligned themselves with the agency’s val­
ues of promoting diversity and inclusiveness. *
“There’s a lot of activity going on, and I think
Equity’s credibility and integrity in running lean,
tight systems will make sure we continue to meet
community need,” Traeger said, jf-l