Donor Spotlight: 2003 Women's Funding Alliance Inspirational Philanthropist, Ellen Ferguson
Tan, rested and ready to make a difference—that's 10-year Women's Funding Alliance (WFA) supporter Ellen Ferguson! Just back from the Vancouver Folk Festival, Ellen shared a mug of tea and some of her time and told us about her personal goal of making Seattle a more just and equitable place for all.
Ellen's first exposure to WFA came when her friend Alice Ito was honored with a WFA Dorothy Bullitt Woman of Achievement Award. As she learned more about our work, Ellen got more involved. Always the optimist, she wished "that WFA didn't have to exist and that society supported women and girls adequately, but since it doesn't yet, I'm glad WFA is here."
Ellen played a pivotal role in WFA's organizational change process several years ago by helping to fund a planning consultant, hosting a focus group and doing the "ask" at our public unveiling event. "Ellen understands the different dimensions of what it means to support an agency and a community as a whole," said LeAnne Moss, WFA executive director. "Her breadth of involvement, generosity and commitment is a model for all of us. I like to think of her as the philanthropic Energizer bunny—she keeps giving, and giving and giving."
Ellen has her own models of philanthropy. "My mentor, Patsy Collins, always used to say, 'People say give until it hurts, but I say give until it feels good,' and that's what I try to do. I give to community organizations that make Seattle a better place for all of its residents."
As a third-generation Seattleite, Ellen has deep roots in the community and feels truly blessed to be from such a beautiful area. Home was where she had her first exposure to civic-mindedness. Her mother was a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood, and her father fondly remembered his days in the Boy Scouts restocking the local fish population. But philanthropy "wasn't anything we talked about," Ellen said, "it was just there. My family feels blessed to be part of this community, and we enjoy caring for it."
Coming of age in the 1960s shaped Ellen's ongoing interest in social justice and progressive social change. "Back then, all these things we think of as movements were starting. It was an exciting thing to be part of, and it has informed my current giving. I am committed to making this community a better, stronger, and more inclusive place for all."
Combining her passion for social justice and her family's love of the community, Ellen and her parents, Hugh and Jane, started a family foundation to give back to the area they hold so dear. It was a wonderful combination: an opportunity to make a difference and to work together as a family to support the natural and cultural diversity of the region they love.
When asked about her work as a philanthropist, Ellen shrugged it off. "You don't really know it or have a sense of it when you're just living your life. You don't look in the mirror in the morning and think, 'I'm a philanthropist.' It's just what you do."
It's obvious that Ellen does it very well. In recognition of her dedication to the community and her invaluable support, WFA honored Ellen as our 2003 Inspirational Philanthropist.
