2026 Spring Newsletter

Dear 4-H friends and alumni,

Greetings from the board and staff of the Oregon 4-H Foundation! I am pleased to report that it has been a busy and productive year. We appreciate the continued support from the many donors and volunteers who continue to make such an important difference to the youth of Oregon. We are always amazed at the creativity and commitment of our professional faculty, 4-H educators and colleagues throughout the state. As Dr. Cathy Haas, director of the OSU Extension 4-H youth development program said, “Thank you for being a part of this journey. Together, we’re helping youth thrive and building a stronger, more connected future for Oregon.”

Here are a few recent highlights and what to look forward to:

Clovers for a Cause, a part of the Beavers Give Fall cohort, was new this year. The emphasis was on state, national and international programs. A total of $89,000 from 135 donors made this a smashing success. These programs included: 4-H national events, 4-H shooting sports, 4-H wagon train, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, animal science, outreach leadership Institute, expressive arts, camping, international program, ambassadors and state fair. The funds are maintained at the OSU Foundation and accessible to each program. I look forward to the repeat of Clovers for a Cause in October 2026.

We got a chance to visit and watch the success of the Oregon Outdoor Education Center, now owned by Zack Packard Memorial Foundation. The laughter, traditions, skits and joyful mentoring from all the leaders and counselors remind us of the importance of camping and outdoor activities for youth. Sign-ups are open now for the summer 2026 4-H Camps.

In June, the 4-H Foundation Trustees will be meeting at the Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters. While we are there, we will have a chance to enjoy the Sister’s Rodeo and to help celebrate the local 4-H programs in the Sisters Rodeo parade.

Join us on Dam Proud Day/Beavs Give on April 29! The Trustees and friends have made an $11,000 challenge to be shared among the counties. The top performing county will get the top prize, second county will get the next prize, the third prize will go to the county with the most individual donors and, lastly, a random drawing will be made from all the participating counties. We hope you will join in to help show each county how much we care.

We appreciate the work and enthusiasm of Nicole Schrock, our executive director and director of development. We are also wishing a fond farewell to Erin Walsh, who served as our development coordinator for many years. Erin accepted an offer to play professional rugby. She promised to let us know if a game is held nearby! Soon an announcement will be made about a new colleague who will join us in that position. We continue to work side by side with Cathy Haas and Mark Brown, Oregon 4-H associate director. Together, your support helps them grow the remarkable 4-H program all over Oregon.

Since raising funds to support 4-H youth is the heart of the Oregon 4-H Foundation mission, stewarding these gifts is very important to us. As trustees, we honor our donors as we celebrate the philanthropic impact of their giving. We know we live in an ever-changing world and that youth we serve today have many hopes and dreams for their future.

We hope this newsletter prompts you to reflect on when you or a family member was in 4-H or to ponder the potential of 4-H in your community. The more we share, engage and support, the stronger our voices will become. Please enjoy this newsletter and look for the many ways you can get involved.

Sue Densmore 

President, Board of Trustees

Oregon 4-H Foundation

2025 Fall Newsletter

Welcome to a new resource for friends of Oregon 4-H

Dear 4-H friends and alumni,

Hello from the board and staff of the Oregon 4-H Foundation! We’re happy to have this new way of sharing updates with you twice a year. Thank you for being part of the community that makes so much possible for youth. Aided by our professional faculty and colleagues and the generous support of donors and volunteers, our 4-H members and their families are making this state even better. As Kris Elliott, Oregon State University’s now permanent Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement, said, “OSU Extension, put simply, is people working together to help Oregon thrive.”

Here are a few recent highlights:

This year we celebrated the 107th year of Summer Conference (formerly 4-H Summer School).

We can proudly report that OSU Extension again has partnerships with all 36 Oregon counties.

This fall, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the successful transfer of ownership of the OSU 4-H Center in Salem – now known as the Oregon Outdoor Education Center – to the Zack Packard Memorial Foundation. Proceeds from the sale will be used to strengthen and sustain 4-H programs, including camping, and empowering youth across Oregon.

With the wonderful addition of Nicole Schrock as Executive Director and Director of Development and continued support from Erin Walsh as our Development Coordinator and a new strategic plan in place, the Oregon 4-H Foundation trustees are enthusiastic about ways to support this remarkable opportunity for our youth. We continue to work side by side with the amazing Cathy Haas, the OSU Extension 4-H Program Director, and Mark Brown, 4-H Associate Director, as 4-H in Oregon thrives. As new programs develop nationally, we need to remember that the 4-H Thriving Model (developed by OSU Extension’s Mary Arnold and in use nationwide) takes the best of youth and adolescent development research and helps us understand what we need to do in our programs to have the biggest positive impact on our youth.

Since raising funds to support 4-H youth is the heart of the Oregon 4-H Foundation mission, stewarding these gifts is very important to us. As trustees, we honor our donors as we celebrate the philanthropic impact of their giving. We know we live in an ever-changing world and that youth we serve today may have differing hopes and dreams for their future.

This newsletter shares stories of 4-H impact in Oregon. We hope these stories prompt you to reflect on when you or a family member were in 4-H or to ponder the potential of 4-H in your community. The more we share, engage and support, the stronger our voices will become. Please enjoy this newsletter and look for the many ways you can get involved.

Sue Densmore 

President, Board of Trustees

Oregon 4-H Foundation