The Sewall Foundation brought 20 people from 12 Animal Welfare grantee organizations together in November for a day of sharing and learning to pilot an alternative to written grant reports. The day consisted of facilitated conversations, networking, and skills building. Participants’ willingness to embrace the invitation to reflect on their work and share challenges openly made for rich conversations. New relationships formed, others were strengthened, and opportunities for peer-to-peer support as well as collaborative action to address shared challenges were abundant. The conversations illuminated challenges and opportunities for the field and provided valuable insight that will inform future Sewall Foundation grantmaking. The event was well received, and we look forward to continuing and learning from such events.

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EBSF has been on an exciting journey of change and growth for several years. Our process of change has been iterative and informed by rich conversations with community and funder partners. While this journey has been exciting, we know that change can be particularly hard for our partners as our new direction gradually takes shape. So in a spirit of transparency, we’d like to share highlights of our transition over the past year, work underway in 2020, and evolving thoughts about how to live into our mission, recognizing that changes continue to unfold – even as we post this update!

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If there was to be a theme to the time from my start on August 1 to today, it would be “so much is happening.”  For those of you who’ve followed the work of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation (EBSF) over the years, this is no surprise. EBSF is committed to ongoing learning and the hard work that this requires. It is an honor to lead an organization so rooted in values and a unifying vision for improving the wellbeing of people, animals and the environment in Maine.

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The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation (EBSF) is pleased to announce that Gabriela Alcalde has been appointed Executive Director and will join the team on August 1, 2019.  Gabriela brings over 20 years’ experience as a leader, grantmaker, and scholar working at the intersections of public health, community organizing, advocacy, racial equity and systems change.   In her current role as Managing Director for Equity and Health at Richmond Memorial Health Foundation in Virginia, she has developed an equity-driven grantmaking strategy, led policy and advocacy efforts, and worked to center community voice across all Foundation and grantee activities.  Prior to her current position, Gabriela served as Vice President of Policy and Programs at the statewide Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which focused on access to care, place-based grantmaking, and equity-driven systems change.  A nationally recognized scholar and leader in public health and health philanthropy, Gabriela has published and presented widely on a host of topics related to public health, health disparities, women’s and reproductive health, intimate partner violence, immigrant justice, and equity in philanthropy.  

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Dear Friends of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation,

As president of the Sewall Foundation for the past thirteen years, I have had the privilege of being part of a team of thoughtful board and staff members supporting the great work of organizations across Maine to improve the well-being of people, animals and the environment. It has been deeply fulfilling for me to see my mother’s philanthropic legacy expand and adapt to address Maine’s needs and the challenges of our time.

I am very pleased to announce a decision that marks the next step for the Sewall Foundation. The Board of Directors has elected Carol Wishcamper and Gail Dana-Sacco as our new board chair and vice-chair, respectively.

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Dear Friends of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, 

As a friend and partner of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, we wanted you to know that Jay Espy has announced his intention to step down as Executive Director next June after 11 years of service.   Under Jay’s leadership as our first Executive Director, the Sewall Foundation has expanded its philanthropic support for important work across Maine.  In addition, he has helped the Foundation develop a clear mission, a strong set of values centered on equity, a dedicated and diverse Board of Directors and an extraordinarily capable staff

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