It has been provocative to review our history of giving since officially opening the doors in 1988. Looking back has provided us an opportunity to reflect and evaluate new ways in which our giving could be more focused, and in turn, be more effective. In the absence of a mission statement and with little more than a "we know it when we see it," the "natural selection" process which has taken place at the Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation has lead us to the following place in the philanthropic landscape: our primary funding areas will be in Environmental conservation and protection in the Pacific Northwest, in civic development and civil rights in the Pacific Northwest, and in artistic expression in the state of Washington.

Our decision to shift away from direct services funding is the result of much hand wringing. It was precipitated by the advent of the New Federalism which has, simply put, repealed the sine qua non of our national domestic policy since the New Deal, and in its stead has devolved the funding, implementation and policy decisions to the states. In the short term, at least, this has translated for us into a quantum jump in numbers of direct service grant requests from heretofore primarily federally funded social service agencies. What most foundations have long since understood, we are just now comprehending. With limited resources, one better uses foundation dollars in a more rapier like manner to address the root cause of the societal problem rather than its symptoms. We are committed to that work.

We also remain committed to the idea of philanthropy promotion. We believe that the Pacific Northwest is historically and uniquely positioned to give birth to a new generation of "social venture entrepreneurs" that will help shape the complexion and landscape and heart of this region. With the much discussed trillion plus dollar intergenerational transfer of wealth beginning to happen coupled with the sheer brain power and wealth behind the scores of those in the high tech community, our task as a philanthropic community is to mentor, encourage and cajole others to participate fully in our communities.

Additionally, we need to understand the political context in which we work. Certainly there are few actively engaged in the field who aren't aware of the attacks on organized philanthropy and the nonprofit sector with whom we have a unique and nearly indivisible relationship. It is our hope that we, as a community, make the public policy debate central to what we do, to examine ourselves as closely as we have been examined over the last several years, and to try to focus on "what's next" for the sector. If we don't figure it out, somebody else will.

Wallace Stegner, the great rhapsodizer and chronicler of the west, describes the landscape in this part of the country as the Geography of Hope, and challenges us to create a civilization to match the scenery. We will do our best to meet that challenge intentionally and earnestly, as best we can.

Martha Kongsgaard & Peter Goldman