We are very much looking forward to the Women in Philanthropy Fall Luncheon, taking place on October 18 at the Country Club of Hilton Head. Our guest speaker at the luncheon is Angie B. Salley, M.A., Executive Director of Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center. We are privileged to have Ms. Salley highlight our grant theme and encourage you to read more about her accomplishments.

Angie B. Salley, M.A. is a life-long resident of Walterboro, SC in Colleton County. She is married to Mr. Frankie Salley, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Nicholas Louis and Christopher Eric. 

Mrs. Salley earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina in Criminal Justice and a Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling from South Carolina State University. She has an established career with over 28 years of state service in South Carolina. 

Since 2021, Mrs. Salley has been employed as the Executive Director of Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center. As the Executive Director, she is responsible for ensuring the sound operations and oversight of the Center for five of the greatest communities in the state of South Carolina Those counties include Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper. She feels very privileged to serve our patients and their families as well as all of the great communities we represent in the Coastal Empire. Mrs. Salley demonstrates a grateful attitude for the opportunity to work with a very passionate, talented, and dedicated Leadership Team and Executive Council. 

Mrs. Salley's vision aligns with Coastal's mission to fully support the recovery of individuals with mental illness. She is committed to recruiting and maintaining a professional, competent, and diverse workforce. She has also made a personal commitment to developing and maintaining strong collaborative partnerships with a focus on increasing access to care, decreasing stigma, prevention, and promoting awareness. All of which is necessary to link patients to their local community supports while they receive comprehensive mental health treatment. 

To register for the WIP Fall Luncheon, visit https://lowcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?event_date_id=1627

Introduction to the WIP Advisory Board

We are excited to introduce two new members to the WIP Advisory Board, Dedria Cruden and Pamela Stone:

Dedria Cruden - Vice Chair & Membership Records Chair

Dedria, a full time resident of Hilton Head since 2014, was introduced to WIP five years ago via an invitation to the Spring Luncheon from WIP member Kaye Black. She was instantly impressed with the organization. Dedria's primary local nonprofit activities have been with Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), where she served on the board for seven years and as the development chair for five years, and remains active with the VIM gala. In her professional career, Dedria worked at Gale Research Company, a global provider of research and digital learning resources, for 32 years. She started as an editor and eventually ascended to CEO. Dedria enjoys the lovely outdoors, including playing golf and taking walks.

Pamela Stone - Grants Chair

Pamela and her husband Paul moved to HHI in December 2019 from Long Beach, CA. Two months after arriving, she joined WIP and has been Vice Chair of the Grants Committee for the past two years. Pamela also volunteers with and serves on the Board of the Lowcountry American Red Cross. Pamela brings 40 years of experience in nonprofit leadership roles, addressing issues such as hunger and poverty, social and environmental justice, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars and mobilized thousands of individuals toward engaged philanthropy and social change. Pamela and her husband currently own and operate a small nanotechnology business from their Hilton Head base. Pamela enjoys sailing, tennis, pickleball, and sewing.

Below is a brief overview of Advisory Board committees and committee chairs:

Grants - Chair: Pamela Stone

The Grants Committee endeavors to match WIP membership goals with appropriate and innovative Beaufort County organizations. The committee works with Community Foundation of the Lowcountry staff to announce the availability of grants for WIP membership's selected theme area. Together the committee then reviews and evaluates proposals submitted by all grant-requesting organizations. The committee develops criteria to help guide their decision-making and gathers any additional needed information by meeting with potential grantees. Collectively, your Grants committee then recommends the final list of grantee organizations whom they believe will most effectively meet objectives established by that year's theme.

Governance - Chair: Mary Stuart Alderman

The Governance Chair is responsible for maintaining the current WIP documents which detail our Operating Guidelines, Officer and Committee Responsibilities, and Grant Cycle. She updates the Women in Philanthropy Board Handbook each year to ensure that current information is included. In addition, she collects Conflict of Interest statements each year from members of the Advisory Board and Grants Committee.  

Membership Cultivation - Chair: Kaye Black

The Membership Committee plans informational gatherings to introduce women to WIP, then hosts orientation sessions to help new members learn how to get the most out of their WIP membership. Our committee organizes a special welcome for new members at each of the luncheons. We work with Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to maintain an accurate and up-to-date roster of WIP members. If you are willing to host an informational gathering in your home for 12–15 friends and neighbors, contact Kaye at kblackhhi@gmail.com.

Education - Chair: Carole Galli

The Education Committee provides opportunities for our membership to learn more about our organization and our community. We schedule speakers and organize field trips which highlight and focus on our grant recipients. We also arrange for programs designed to provide our members with a broader understanding of the uniqueness of the Lowcountry in which we live. We welcome your ideas and input and would be happy to discuss opportunities for you to join our committee. Please reach out to me at gallisings@gmail.com

Communications - Chair: Gigi Maxfield

The Communications Committee shares an awareness with our membership and the public of WIP’s community contributions. Each month, our newsletter presents and highlights the programs and activities of Grants, Membership, Education, Events, Finance and Governance, along with membership features and the impact made throughout the Lowcountry. Please share your interest with Gigi at gigimaxfield@hotmail.com if you would like to help spread the word about WIP and join our communications committee.

Events - Chair: Rosalie VanDam

The Events Committee schedules fall and spring luncheons, which feature guest speakers, highlights, and grant presentations. In addition to the luncheons, special events throughout the year provide opportunities for our membership to enjoy socializing with old and new members while highlighting our diverse and interesting membership. We welcome your ideas and are looking for members interested in planning events and sharing new ideas. Please contact Rosalie at Rosalie.garyvandam6@gmail.com or 843.298.0191.

Finance - Chair: OPEN

The Finance Chair supports the organization by monitoring the balances and activity within the three funds that Women in Philanthropy have within the Community Foundation: the WIP Fund, that includes the Endowment and spendable balances for Grants; the Operating Fund, which reflects the in and out for events and other activities; and the Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster Fund, which is managed within the WIP portfolio for grantmaking. We are looking for someone who would be interested in sharing this role with the possibility of joining the Advisory Board. Please contact Lesley at lcg1687@aol.com if interested.

WIP membership is currently at 155, and we have a new member orientation scheduled for October 5. If you’ve never attended one, you are welcome to come. Contact Kaye Black at kblackhhi@gmail.com for details. 

WIP rosters are emailed to members quarterly. Please check your listing and let Lisa at Community Foundation of the Lowcountry know if your contact information has changed.



Annual contributions for WIP are due by January 31 each year. Some of us will be including our 2024 contribution in our year-end giving and that is fine. Make sure to specify that your contribution is for 2024 and, if it is coming from a donor advised fund or financial institution, please alert Lisa or Emmy at CFL to let them know what to be looking for.

A new feature of the WIP newsletter is periodic sharing of the women who have passionately championed the mission of Women in Philanthropy.

Elizabeth Loda sailed the world one and a half times with her family while at the same time maintaining her 30+ year financial planning practice focusing on women and their unique needs. As a Jill of all Trades, Elizabeth has brought her zest for living, sharing and giving to Women in Philanthropy as a Legacy Member, Grants Chair and Chair from 2020-2022. One might think it’s time for Elizabeth to step back and rest on her laurels, but that will never happen. Click on the link below to read the recent Local Life article about how Elizabeth resurrected her passion for flying as she enjoys semi-retirement.

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