When I first heard that Anne Mosle was leaving her leadership role at the Washington Area Women’s Foundation to go to the Kellogg Foundation, I felt very sad!  As a Grantee Partner, and someone who admires Anne so much, it was, and still is, incredibly challenging to wrap my head around the fact that not only is Anne leaving The Women’s Foundation, but the area as well! 

But, as I thought about it more, I have reluctantly begun to appreciate what a fantastic next step this is for Anne and honestly, for our nation!  So, Washington’s loss is truly, through the impact she will undoubtedly make at the Kellogg Foundation, our nation’s gain!

I first met Anne when she invited me to participate as a community member on an advisory group for The Portrait Project.  I remember my first meeting–walking into a room of diverse, talented women (I think there may have been a few brave men present as well!) who had gathered to focus on the research that eventually became the foundation for The Women’s Foundation’s Stepping Stones initiative. 

From that moment on I was an Anne Mosle fan and donor and supporter of The Women’s Foundation!  Today, we have all witnessed the power of The Portrait Project and what The Women’s Foundation has done to turn research into action! 

As a result of Anne’s relentless ability, energy and compassion, and her capacity to engage so many others to join her, she has turned this research effort–which could have become a document gathering dust like so many other documents sitting on our desks–into a powerful tool that provided the framework and vision for what has today grown into an annual million dollar effort impacting diverse women’s lives throughout our region!

Wow!

It is hard for me to even imagine how she did this–aggressively gathering an army of women and supportive men to bring to life her vision of improving the quality of life for the girls and women in our region. 

It is also important to note that The Portrait Project was one of the first research efforts in our region to ensure that the needs of Latino girls and women were documented.

Today, Anne and her great staff have enlisted an army of regional foot soldiers in nonprofit community organizations to carry out her charge through innovative, respectful programs and initiatives. The Latin American Youth Center has been fortunate to be one of The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners in this work. 

The Women’s Foundation, its community of donors and Stepping Stones have brought a unique philanthropic vision and opportunity to us all!

Anne’s legacy inspires us all to work harder and do more, while generously giving of our time and money to ensure that girls and women have the opportunity to thrive in our region.  Anne has engaged us in her vision and while she tackles her new challenge, The Women’s Foundation’s work and our work is not done.  We must keep her vision in our hearts, minds, and our purses, through continued support of The Women’s Foundation and Stepping Stones.

Our greatest homage to Anne will be to keep The Women’s Foundation strong for years to come!

Anne, thank you for your years of dedication and passion – I will miss you!

Lori Kaplan is executive director of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, D.C., a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation since 2003.