A Discussion about the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation
Marilyn Gifford
Executive Director
George Ammerman
Foundation Board President and Terwilliger Plaza resident Member
The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the resident Members, staff, and community of Terwilliger Plaza. During the second half of 2025, the Foundation revised their mission statement and developed a vision and guiding principles to reflect the evolution of the Terwilliger Plaza community.
Mission: Honoring the legacy of Lesta Hoel, the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation seeks to support Terwilliger Plaza Members and staff, and to enhance community now and in the future.
Vision: Building a stronger Terwilliger Plaza community through philanthropy.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Stewardship – ongoing initiatives support
Empowerment – solutions for the benefit of all
Celebration – commemorating Terwilliger Plaza milestones
Campus Upgrades – facility and equipment improvements
Activities – valued by Members, staff, and guests
Recently, we spoke with Executive Director Marilyn Gifford and Foundation Board President and Terwilliger Plaza resident Member, George Ammerman to learn more about the Foundation’s structure and guiding language in support of Terwilliger Plaza.
How does the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation operate within Terwilliger Plaza?
Marilyn: The Foundation was established in 1991, and is a resident Member supported 501(c)(3).
George: Terwilliger Plaza has three different entities: Terwilliger Plaza Corporation, Terwilliger Plaza Foundation and the Lesta Hoel Memorial Trust Fund, all of which are 501(c)(3)s. The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation and the Lesta Hoel Memorial Trust Fund however are supporting organizations and can only make grants to Terwilliger Plaza, its resident Members and staff.
The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation makes grants to Terwilliger Plaza, staff scholarships, and to the Lesta Hoel Memorial Trust Fund which was established in 1967 in honor of the founding chairperson and first president of the Terwilliger Plaza Board, Lesta Hoel. The fund supports a small number of resident Members who have exhausted their financial resources. As a community we are proud to say that no one has ever had to leave Terwilliger Plaza because of a lack of resources.
What is the oversight structure for the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation?
George: The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation has its own Board of Directors, comprised of a majority of resident Members – six inside Directors and three outside Directors, with direct accountability to the Terwilliger Plaza Board of Directors. As an example, when the Foundation wants to appoint a new Director to the Board it needs to seek approval from Terwilliger Plaza’s Board of Directors.
Can you speak to the decision to update the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation mission, and develop a vision and guiding principles?
Marilyn: The Foundation was originally established to offer our resident Members a charitable option specifically geared towards resident Members and their lives here at Terwilliger Plaza. As our community has evolved and grown, the purpose of the Foundation has broadened to support Terwilliger Plaza as a whole.
George: We had a mission, but not a vision and guiding principles. It was a desire to expand upon our mission to support Terwilliger Plaza resident Members and staff, and to enhance community now and in the future. The addition of a vision and guiding principles allows us to have a sharper focus and better articulate the purpose of the Foundation, why we are raising money, and the impact on our community.
Marilyn: Also, speaking directly to the culture of philanthropy in our vision statement was intentional and extremely important. It reflects the values and commitment of our community to the future of Terwilliger Plaza.
How large is the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation fund?
George: The Foundation has approximately $9.5M in net assets at the end of 2025, which includes endowment and unrestricted funds. More than 60% of the Foundation’s assets are in endowment funds in the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), one of the largest community funds in the country.
What are some examples of grants and projects that the Foundation has supported recently?
Marilyn: During 2025, in celebration of the opening of Parkview, in collaboration with the Artworks Committee the Foundation acquired Spheroid, a kinetic sculpture by Seattle-based sculptor Ulrich Pakker which has been installed in the Parkview Courtyard. It was funded by donors at two Foundation galas held in 2022 and 2023.
George: A small group from our resident Member Artworks Committee searched for just the right sculpture, focusing on artists from the Pacific Northwest, both currently working and from the previous generation. The sculpture has a fascinating background. Prior to its permanent installation at Terwilliger Plaza, Spheroid had traveled to Italy for the Venice Architecture Biennale and to Nevada for the Burning Man festival.
Marilyn: The Foundation has also granted funds for the purchase and installation of a new lectern camera for the Parkview Auditorium, and the purchase of wireless microphones. As well, the Foundation has provided grants for the design and construction to remodel the Terrace entrance and interior of The Deli, and the purchase of a new Terwilliger Plaza bus that is used extensively by our resident Members. In previous years we have funded grants for the purchase of new equipment for The Wellness Center, supported a Virtual Reality program for our resident Members in Assisted Living, and provided supplemental funding to support the Music Committee and their implementation of Friday Night Music programming.
The Foundation also worked with the administration to fund the purchase of pocket translator apps for our staff. Should there be a language barrier between resident Members and staff, this app fosters more meaningful interactions and conversation. The success of this initiative recently led to the funding of an advanced translator initiative within Terwilliger Plaza’s emergency management system to program individual radios to support the native language of the user. These are just a few examples. It’s very meaningful to contribute in such a direct way.
How does the Foundation support the staff at Terwilliger Plaza?
George: We provide educational scholarships to our staff, and in some instances to their family members. We also support the organizers of the Employee Appreciation Fund, the community’s voluntary annual year-end gift to the staff in recognition of their efforts to our community.
How can the community make contributions to Terwilliger Plaza?
Marilyn: Our donors can give either to the Lesta Hoel Memorial Trust Fund or the Terwilliger Plaza Foundation, and there are options to provide general, unrestricted support or to give to a variety of specific funds. An example of a specific fund is an endowment for classical music that supports the Friday Night Music program.
We also receive contributions from the Treasures Resale Shop which has been part of the Terwilliger Plaza history for years. Run by a committee of resident Members, the sales from the shop contribute to Terwilliger Plaza Foundation’s unrestricted funds.
Would you say that the Foundation’s mission and vision embrace the values of the Terwilliger Plaza community known as caring, respectful, civic-minded, active, progressive and engaged individuals?
Marilyn: Yes. Which is why we felt it was so important to incorporate the language of philanthropy into the vision statement. By its very definition philanthropy is the active, voluntary effort to promote human welfare and improve the quality of life.
George: The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation indeed represents our values and culture to support Terwilliger Plaza resident Members and staff, and to enhance our community now and in the future.