The Vancouver-based M.J. Murdock Charitable MurdockTrust had a record year of giving in 2021, investing $110 million in organizations across the Northwest, including nearly $610,000 in Clark County. Those funds went to three Clark County-based nonprofits: Global Sojourns Giving Circle, Meadow Glade Adventist Elementary School and Shared Hope International. “These investments are a testament to the thoughtful legacy of Jack Murdock and our team at the Murdock Trust who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support those who seek to serve the common good,” Steve Moore, the trust’s executive director, said in a news release. “But more than anything, our work is a declaration of trust and belief in those who serve on the front lines in diverse communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Their sacrifice and efforts bring our mission to life.” The long-standing trust serves nonprofits in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., in the areas of arts and culture, scientific research, health, education and human services. It was founded in 1975 by the estate of Melvin Jack Murdock, a philanthropist, investor and co-founder of Tektronix. Here’s how the trust’s 2021 grants are making an impact in Clark County. Global Sojourns Giving Circle The Vancouver-based Global Sojourns Giving Circle received a $145,000 grant last winter to underwrite an executive director position for three years.

The 15-year-old nonprofit provides grants to community-based organizations in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa that mentor youth with a focus on empowering girls. According to the organization’s 2020 annual report, Global Sojourns Giving Circle’s total income was about $144,000 in 2020, and the program served some 470 children last year, with expenses totaling about $80,000. With a new executive director, the organization will be able to expand its efforts. The nonprofit relies on volunteers and donations, and the added support will help it round up both. The organization is registered in Vancouver, but its founder, Priscilla Plummer, lives most of the year in Cape Town, South Africa, her base for the organization’s projects. “It sucks to be in deep poverty, and it sucks to be a girl in a deeply patriarchal society,” Plummer told The Columbian lastin July. “We help kids know their lives matter.”

To support Global Sojourns Giving Circle, you can donate on their website at www.gsgivingcircle.org. Meadow Glade Adventist Elementary School Meadow Glade Adventist Elementary School in Battle Ground received a $400,000 grant last summer to support a capital projects campaign launched in 2016. Specifically, the money is going toward building a state-of-the-art music department, according to principal and building administrator Ric Peinado. “This grant is going to have a very positive impact,” he said. “Music is very important to our community.” The school has been funding a full-time music instructor since 2014. Without a proper music facility, however, lessons were taught in empty classrooms and in the gymnasium, “Places not fit for performances or choir or band,” Peinado said. “But we made it work.”

Now, the school is building a first-class facility equipped with a music space with proper acoustics, private practice rooms with pianos and a classroom space for the music instructor to meet with students one on one. “This is something we’ve been dreaming about for at least eight years, as long as I’ve been here,” Peinado said. “We are now moving forward with that vision, and it should be completed by the end of March.” The school had to cancel music performances over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Peinado said he hopes to see music performances return to the school soon — ideally in its new facility. Meadow Glade Elementary is still raising money to complete its capital projects campaign. It hopes to raise $300,000 in 2022 to complete the project debt-free, according to Peinado. To support the campaign, you can donate on Meadow Glade’s website at mgaes.org.

Shared Hope International The Vancouver-based Shared Hope International received a $64,856 grant to continue participating in the Murdock Trust’s Vision and Call internship program. Shared Hope International is an organization aimed at preventing and eradicating sex-trafficking worldwide. Established in 2006, the Vision and Call internship program places young adults at nonprofits to help them learn about a vocation while gaining work experience. This is the third year Shared Hope International has participated in the program. Vision and Call interns work directly with the organization’s director of growth strategies to complete special projects. Organizations can participate in the program for up to six years. According to a Shared Hope International spokesperson, Vision and Call interns have gone on to pursue leadership roles in the nonprofit sector after gaining leadership experience and familiarity with the inner workings of nonprofits through the program. “The Murdock Trust does a great job with leadership development and teaching about what we must do as leaders to succeed,” the spokesperson said. “I really appreciate that they are such a strong partner and saw the opportunity here.”

To support Shared Hope International, visit sharedhope.org/donate. What’s in store for 2022 at Murdock? Funding more projects aimed at helping communities recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moore, the trust’s executive director, said the organization is heading into 2022 with “cautious optimism.” “As we enter a new year, our team will continue to embrace optimism as we partner with those who serve the common good so that every individual, family, and community has an opportunity to flourish and thrive,” he said.

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