From the Farmhouse Table: April 2023
The Power of Partnership
Here at Hedgebrook, it recently occurred to us that the word “yes” contains an entire spectrum—from resounding enthusiasm to reluctant obligation. The good news is that we’ve become more astute at identifying the difference, and we’ve been grateful to hear an enthusiastic "yes" in our endeavor to build robust partnerships and sponsorships in the spirit of Radical Reciprocity. This sense of authentic connection is crucial because, though Hedgebrook’s Mother Tree is on Whidbey Island, our reach is broad. In addition to the in-person support of our 150 Equivox guests gathered on March 19th, supporters also tuned in from 16 US states, as well as from India, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain, and France. The event made one thing crystal clear: we cannot serve, and stay connected to, our 1,800 alumnae—plus thousands of friends—without leveraging our affiliations with like-minded organizations and individuals. It’s not just practical, but also energizing, to collaborate with others who share our passion for social and racial justice.
First and foremost, strong partnerships benefit the heart of Hedgebrook: our writers. Case in point, our upcoming 2023 Writers Conference, which launches on September 29th. Presented at Town Hall, and recorded by their technical crew as part of our enhanced partnership, the Writers Conference will feature intensive writing workshops, industry talks, and an event featuring our illustrious alumnae instructors that will be open to the public. We’ll be hosting a special gathering for our active supporters, which includes our Fir-level event sponsor, The Unicorn Authors Club. We deeply value the enthusiastic yes we’ve received from those at Town Hall, and from our own board member Minal Hajratwala, founder of the Unicorn Authors Club. Similarly, from mid-May into early June, Hedgebrook will highlight another powerful genre employed by alumnae when we host our second Filmmakers Showcase in partnership with CineStory Foundation, Northwest Film Forum and Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.
Equivox ’23 confirmed for us the power of partnerships and sponsorships. Our success was built from the early pace-setting sponsorship provided by CalWellness through to the floral sponsorship contributed by Emerald City Flowers and including BECU and the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, driven by the robust partnership between Hedgebrook’s staff and board members and event consultants Swaim Strategies. Even working with our venue hosts at SoDo Park felt more like a partnership than a contractual relationship. Given the significance of what Hedgebrook exists to do – nothing less than creating a global community of women-identifying writers whose stories shape our culture now and for generations to come – it shouldn’t be a surprise that we would draw such eager and powerful collaborators.
We continue to pursue the enthusiastic “yes” as we pull together plans for our mid-August Songwriters Showcase -- sponsored at the Heron level by Amazon! -- and fill in all the details for our Writers Conference and Filmmakers Showcase. In the spirit of radical reciprocity, we also welcome ideas and requests to partner or promote the work of like-minded organizations, so please reach out.
-Roxanne Kröon Shepherd, Development Director, Hedgebrook
Click here for specifics about our sponsorship opportunities through the rest of 2023, or contact programs@hedgebrook.org to discuss partnership opportunities.