Invest in Women – Impact by Design: Women Shaping the Future of Giving

Something powerful is happening in women’s philanthropy, a new paradigm in giving defined by collaboration, compassion, and purpose. That spirit filled the room at Coldstream’s latest Invest in Women event, “Impact by Design: Women Shaping the Future of Giving.” Hosted in Portland, the gathering brought together women who are transforming the way generosity is expressed shifting from transactional to transformational, aligning resources with values, and using philanthropy as a force for lasting change.

Coldstream partnered with Oregon Community Foundation to host an evening at the Multnomah Athletic Club West Ballroom on October 30^th, where all present heard remarkable stories of philanthropy and worked together to begin building their own personal philanthropic mission statements.

Ann Sacks: Combatting Loneliness and Focus on Forgiveness

We are grateful and honored to have had well-known businesswoman and entrepreneur, co-founder of The Pixie Project, and long-time philanthropist Ann Sacks as the keynote speaker for the event. In a fireside interview conducted by Coldstream Team Lead & Wealth Manager Kim Rosenberg, CFP®, Ann shared her own philanthropic journey and what drives and inspires her to give back. She pointed out that loneliness has grown to crisis-level among our citizens, and that all it takes is someone willing to reach out and offer a helping hand to make a huge difference in someone’s life. Ann also discussed how important forgiveness is as part of learning compassion and care and shared her own journey of forgiveness.

A Philanthropic Mission Statement

Where do you start when you begin building your philanthropic legacy? Having guiding principles can help direct your giving toward areas that will be most meaningful and impactful to you and your values. Oregon Community Foundation presenters Pip Meagher and Sarah Grace McIlveen led an interactive discussion to help identify the “what, who, where, and which values” of a philanthropic program, then tying those back to how an individual can align them with their own personal commitment to a cause or community. Guests worked in pairs to support one another in exploring the life experiences that led them to hold certain values dear and how they can connect those values to their charitable giving.

Charitable Giving Strategies

Coldstream Wealth Managers Katie Quick, CFP® and Katelyn Spangler, CFP® illustrated how to take a philanthropic giving program and strategize ways to maximize both the tax benefit and the giving potential of every dollar. Katie explained the advantages of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)—particularly when using a “bunching strategy” to itemize deductions. And Katelyn illustrated why a Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) can be a powerful vehicle for giving and tax savings.

Impact by Design Raffle

What would an event be without a fun raffle to end the evening? Coldstream conducted a drawing for three wonderful gifts: a bottle of wine from women-owned winery Antica Terra, The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life by author Lynne Twist, and a $500 donation from Coldstream’s Philanthropy Committee to a charitable organization of the winner’s choice.

Empowering our Women & Wealth Community

At Coldstream, our mission is simple but profound: to enhance people’s lives. One of the ways we strive to do that is by helping women feel confident and empowered in making financial and life decisions. The Invest in Women series was born from a conversation where we reflected on what truly builds confidence—both personally and professionally. We agreed that education, community, and advocacy for one another are the essential ingredients. With this event, we continued that tradition by bringing together executives, entrepreneurs, and inspiring women who each brought their own unique voice, story, and perspective. We were deeply pleased to have the opportunity to connect, reflect, and be inspired by the remarkable women among us.

We hope that everyone who attended walked away having learned something new, felt inspired, and maybe made a new friend or friends! Thank you to Oregon Community Foundation, to Ann Sacks, to the organizers, and to all the guests who made this event such a spectacular success! Together, we can make an impact.

We are looking forward to continuing to build on this momentum as we plan future Invest in Women events. Our goal is to foster this as a forum for education, connection, inspiration, and empowerment. Please feel free to share your ideas for future topics and speakers. We look forward to seeing you at our next Invest in Women event!

* The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and Certified Financial Planner™ in the U.S.