Some friends of FAN gathered at our June open house and farewell to Elise at FAN offices last week, in front of the amazing SEIU Local 6 mural of workers by Periko the Artist.
A Farewell from Elise DeGooyer
Happy Summer! In these weeks of such kind affirmations and celebrations of my 10+ years at FAN, I want to take a moment to say goodbye and thank you to all our friends, advocates, donors, volunteers, supporters, readers, and our mighty NETWORK across the state. It has been the honor of my life and career to serve in this leadership capacity at FAN, and I am deeply grateful. Together we have stood on the shoulders of some incredible leaders and founding organizations with a rich history of justice work in the Pacific Northwest; I hope we always honor and expand that legacy. There are many stories and moments I’ll carry with me, but the most profound images include us gathered on the steps of the Capitol building, ready to meet with our legislators and lift our faith voices for policy change! And of course, looking across the room at annual dinners, seeing a beautiful assembly of people of faith and conscience from many traditions, along with coalition partners and unions, ready to support and celebrate our shared work for justice and hope.
As we move into this new era for FAN, I want you to know that the FAN staff and governing board are committed and ready to move forward the momentum we’ve built together over these 13 years. We are fortunate to be guided by our insightful and collaborative Transition Management Consultant, Rose Waterstone, who sends greetings below. Please join us in welcoming Rose, who is facilitating our Executive Director search and some interim work this summer.
We are aware that there is much to do in boosting civic engagement and voting in this election year, as well as standing with our coalition partners against harmful ballot initiatives. One insight that has guided me through this multifaith work was shaped by theologian Paul Knitter, who maintains that the key to interfaith dialogue is to get our hands dirty together—to discover our mutual values not just through talk, but working together on a common project. My prayer for FAN is that we continue to build and heal relationships and embrace change in this partnership for the common good. Since I’m not retiring just yet, I trust I will see many of you in community along the way!
With gratitude & hope, Elise
Greetings from Rose Waterstone

Rose Waterstone, at right, with some FAN board members, R to L: Rev. Jim CastroLang, Rev. Dr. Edward Donalson, Dr. Jasmit Singh, Elise DeGooyer, & Rev. Carol Jensen.
Dear FAN Community,
I am honored to be supporting Faith Action Network through this pivotal time of growth and leadership change. As your Transition Management Consultant, my role for the next 3-4 months will be to guide FAN through the process of hiring your next Executive Director while also maintaining operations. I come to FAN with 16+ years of experience as a nonprofit founder, executive director, and consultant that specializes in facilitating organizations through periods of change and transformation.
I am excited to work with FAN because I am passionate about building multifaith, multiracial, multicultural communities that stand in solidarity with one another, learn from each other’s differences, and work together to create social change. My own commitment to working toward collective liberation, justice, and healing is rooted in my progressive Jewish values; so it is an honor to be of service to an organization that puts faith-based values into action.
I respect all that the FAN Board, staff, and network have already accomplished under Elise DeGooyer’s skilled leadership. During this past month of onboarding with Elise, I have been in awe of her depth of knowledge, her masterful relationship cultivation, and her heart-centered dedication to assuring that FAN fulfills its mission. She has left an exemplary legacy and created a strong foundation for the next Executive Director. Please share our Executive Director job description with those in your network and encourage qualified applicants to apply. If you have questions about the hiring or transition process, I encourage you to reach out to me at waterstone@fanwa.org.
I look forward to being of service to you and the FAN community.
In solidarity,
Rose Waterstone
(they/them) pronouns
waterstone@fanwa.org
https://www.rosewaterstoneconsulting.com/
Help Find FAN’s next
Executive Director!
FAN is excited to announce that we have launched the hiring process for our next Executive Director! We are seeking a collaborative, values-aligned, and strategic nonprofit leader who has the skills to guide the future of the organization. This role requires both a deep respect for diverse beliefs and cultures, and a passion for building an equitable, multiracial, and multifaith community of advocates across Washington State. Please see the complete job description for further information. Candidates should send their resume, cover letter, and three references to apply@fanwa.org. Priority deadline is July 12. We encourage our network to share this job opportunity with others in the community. Please help us to find FAN’s next ED!
SAVE the DATE: FAN Liaison Gathering
We are so grateful to those of you who serve as liaisons between your faith community and FAN–the lifeblood connecting hearts, lungs and muscles! And we want to support you better.
We invite liaisons and other faith community members active in advocacy to join a zoom meeting/training on Wednesday, July 17, 7:00-8:30 pm. There may be a repeat meeting in late August or early September. Together we will:
- discuss strategies for building involvement in policy advocacy and systemic change within your faith community,
- review roles and responsibilities of a liaison,
- share successes and frustrations, and
- support each other.

Take Action This Election Season
Are you looking for ways to encourage voting and civic engagement in your faith community this election year? Are you also looking for community-led support? If your answers are yes, FAN invites you to join a Network of 100% Voting Faith Communities! Many faith traditions highlight the importance of voting in preserving community well-being and the common good in democracy. The Network of 100% Voting Faith Communities is a community space to share ideas, tools, and peer support. Whether you are a leader authorized to take action on behalf of your faith community or an individual willing to organize your faith community to participate, you are invited! Please read more information on this document and fill out the form to join the network. You can also access our newly launched Voting & Civic Engagement page.
We will offer monthly zoom meetings through the summer to stay engaged as a network. We welcome any individuals and communities interested and committed to getting out the vote in their faith community and/or wider community. The following online meetings have been scheduled:
- Tues. July 23rd 12-1 pm
- Tues. August 20th 12-1 pm
The focus of the meetings will be on supporting organizing, voter registration, and mobilization in your community.
We are committed to voicing the values from multi-faith traditions in the electoral process and we hope you will be part of this movement!
Our Policy in Action: SUN Bucks and Summer EBT
We were excited to help win budget money for a robust Summer EBT program this past legislative session. Now this money, along with federal funds, has been transformed into SUN Bucks in Washington! Families will receive $120 in food benefits for each eligible child. Similar to SNAP (Basic Food), SUN Bucks can be used to purchase food at retail locations like grocery stores, farmers markets, and corner stores. The SUN Bucks program works in tandem with the Free Summer Meals program to support families when school meals are unavailable. Families need to make sure that they have filled out a School Meals Application by 6/30 to be automatically enrolled in the program.
More information about SUN Bucks and free summer meals, as well as a flyer to share, is available here. In addition, families wanting to know about sites for Free Summer Meals can text FOOD to 304-304.
Summer at Holden
Summer in the North Cascades wilderness calls! Holden Village is offering some exciting programming this summer, and we are delighted that FAN Policy Engagement Director Kristin Ang will be part of the teaching faculty for the week of August 5-8. There will be lots of opportunities to participate in meaningful programs and discussions, as well as enjoy the outdoors and all that Holden has to offer. Register at the Holden site.
Opportunities
State Funding Opportunities:
Security Grants: You advocated for new state funding to protect our communities, and soon the program investments will be implemented. Here are links with updated information at the Commerce web page.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, June 27, 6:00-8:00pm, Will You Still Need Me When I’m 64 or More: Strengthening Security and Medicare for Ourselves and Future Generations, in-person, Tacoma. Join this FAN co-sponsored event with Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, APRI-Tacoma and others, featuring April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, to talk about the present and future of Social Security and Medicare and explore options for how we can ensure these programs are around not only for ourselves, but for retirees long into the future.
Sunday, June 30, 9:30am-3:30pm, Join WAISN at Seattle Pride, in-person, Seattle. Join to celebrate all the ways in which queer liberation and immigrant justice is connected. Join WAISN in showcasing our collective power together!
Tuesday, July 2, 7:00pm, An Evening with Lifelong Climate Activist Bill McKibben, First United Methodist Church, Seattle. Third Act Washington (TAWA) is presenting a talk by Bill McKibben who will be issuing a call to action on climate and democracy, including No on Initiative 2117, followed by a Q&A.
Get Social