Women’s Care Foundation History
Mrs. Rosenberg’s Dream
Mrs. Jacob Rosenberg had a long-standing dream to establish and maintain a convalescent home for needy women. It started when she was recuperating from surgery in the hospital, and saw women, not as fortunate as she, leaving the hospital before recovery because of their inability to afford longer care. As a result, when she left the hospital, she took some destitute women into her own home while they recuperated. However, she was frustrated that she couldn’t do more to remedy this problem.
So in 1923, she gathered a group of her friends together and invited them to help establish a convalescent home. At this first meeting, they elected officers and donated $700 to start the project. This project gained the support of many public-spirited citizens and civic groups. The Articles of Incorporation for the Women’s Convalescent Home Association were filed on February 21, 1924.
The Convalescent Home
In December 1925, when $5000 was raised, the association rented a house at SE 74th and Alder and opened the first convalescent home. Most furnishings were donated and operating money was raised by membership drives, food sales, benefit teas, and other types of benefits. Soon this house became inadequate and with further financial bequests, they purchased a house at 631 SE 28th Ave. This house had 12 endowed beds. Over the next few decades, the Women’s Convalescent Home Association received many bequests, was a beneficiary of the Community Chest, was supported by many other service organizations, and was highly regarded by the medical profession and the community at large.
In 1957, the Fire Marshall declared the building unsafe and recommended an expensive sprinkling system. Fortunately, the Glenn Townsend estate made a timely bequest of $56,000 and the association was able to apply for matching funds under the Hill-Burton Act. With this money and other donations, the Association decided to build a larger, modernly equipped home for 20 patients at 2727 SE Alder. Mrs. Rosenberg, now Mrs. Joseph Hilf, came from Los Angeles for the groundbreaking ceremony and was amazed to see what her dream had grown into.
In December 1958, the 12 patients from the old home were moved into the new one, having lunch in the former and dinner in the latter. This must have taken quite a bit of organizing!
For the next decade the home was almost always full and filled a great need in the community. Expansion was considered, as was independence from UGN (UW). But then came Medicare, for which the home wouldn’t qualify. As a result, beginning in 1967, instead of having a waiting list for admissions, the patient number fell to 11, expenses continued to increase and the Board had to draw on capital funds to balance the budget. Several alternatives and solutions were pursued to try to increase occupancy, including providing care for kidney transplant patients and partnering with other convalescent facilities. In 1969, UGN withdrew their support because of an oversupply of available beds in the city.
The Board then investigated community needs for other uses for the facility, including juvenile foster care, and a halfway house for women with mental illness. The association didn’t want to disappoint the founders by letting the home go out of existence. A consultant advised the Board to discontinue operation of the Home, find another community need for the building or to sell or lease the building to a non-profit organization. In October 1969, the Board voted to become a Foundation and leased the building for a nominal sum to the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Association as the Hill-Burton Act mandated that the difference between the rent paid by a tax exempt organization and the appraised value could be contributed to the community. The now full home continued to serve women, this time as a halfway house with most of the women coming from Dammasch Hospital. They were provided with counseling and job seeking assistance until they were ready to rejoin the community.
In 1976, the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Association ended their lease and was replaced by the Alcoholism Counseling and Recovery Program until early 1979. At the end of the year, the building was sold to the United Cerebral Palsy Association. However in 1989, they defaulted on a balloon payment and the property was returned to the Foundation. It was then rented to OUR HOUSE, an agency that provided care for people with HIV related disease. In 1992, the property was sold on contract to Providence Medical Foundation for $250,000. They continued to rent to OUR HOUSE and completed their purchase in 1995. Providence had since donated the building to OUR House. In 2002, they applied for a grant from the Women’s Care Foundation.
The Foundation
Now returning to 1969, the Women’s Convalescent Home Association Foundation conducted a study to decide how to deal with their capital funds. They turned the management of the monies over to the Trust Department at First Interstate Bank. The Internal Revenue Service at that time required that Foundations of this type give away all of their annual income every year. Currently, the Foundation grants approximately five percent of the fair market value of its trust assets to local nonprofit agencies.
The Board established criteria for the kind of services that would be eligible for the Foundation’s funds. They chose flexible criteria including proof that the tax-exempt status would be considered scientific, charitable, or educational in nature. They tried to help organizations that were true to the needs that the founders envisioned. Over time, the stated purpose for the Foundation has become more focused. In response to an increase in requests without an increase in funds, between 1992 and 1994, the Trustees studied the historical beginnings of the Foundation and the current needs. They then redefined the purpose to read: “To provide for the care, assistance, rehabilitation, and protection of women and their children.” They also defined Priorities: “social concerns and health, with special interest in women and their children” and Fields of Grant Activity: “Women’s education, human services, housing, disabilities, substance abuse, health.”
In 1969 also, a Selection Committee was appointed to assess current needs, to publicize the grants and to evaluate applications. The first year there were four applicants, three of which were funded. Each year thereafter the applications have increased. The grant application and award process has continued pretty much the same with only minor changes in organizational terms and details.
In 1990 the Bylaws were amended to give the Foundation a more manageable name. The Women’s Convalescent Home Association became the Women’s Care Foundation. At the same time, in order to meet current nonprofit criteria, the Foundation dropped membership from the Bylaws.
In 1994, a Financial Task Force recommended that the Foundation transfer its assets to US Bank Trust Department. In 1998 the fair market value of the Foundation assets reached one million dollars for the first time, but since then have dropped below that mark.
In 1995 the Foundation began discussions with the Portland Women’s Union, a foundation with a similar mission, to explore the idea of collaborating on a joint project. This resulted in the establishment of the Technical Assistance Fund that is administered by Technical Assistance for Community Services. It provides training funds for non-profit agency employees.