What happens when nonprofit leaders and funders come together—not for a pitch, but for a real conversation? Sharing Denise Louie Education Center's post on our partnership for an Education Strategy Session: Yesterday, Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC) and SYL Foundation partnered to host an Education Strategy Session bringing together Development Directors across the early learning landscape with private funders around the same table. We didn’t come with polished decks or rehearsed lines. We came with questions, experiences, lessons, and the humility to say “we don’t have it all figured out.” The result? - Honest dialogue on the challenges we’re navigating. - Best practices that created shared learning. - A vision for a more sustainable, informed, and equity-driven funding ecosystem. What stood out most: the funders who chose to lean in—asking candid questions and welcoming equally candid responses. That vulnerability is rare. But it’s exactly what’s needed. Only when we’re willing to be uncomfortable can we begin to close the divide between those who fund and those who serve. Thank you to every organization and foundation that showed up with courage, curiosity, and commitment. This is how we build trust. This is how we transform systems—from the ground up. (fb)

SYL Foundation is proud to support the work of Washington State Coalition for Language Access (WASCLA). 盧勝彥佈施基金會 很榮幸能夠支持 Washington State Coalition for Language Access (WASCLA) 的工作. We recently had the chance to sit down with Joana Ramos, Co-Chair of the Washington State Coalition for Language Access’s Board of Directors, and learn about some key aspects of WASCLA’s work. “One of the main things that we do is offer a space to talk about language access and language services,” Joana shared. WASCLA’s mission is to create awareness about language barriers, increase access to spoken, written, and signed languages, and tackle the systemic roots of these barriers at the policy level. With a background in advocacy for access to essential services, Joana emphasizes that language access as an issue of dignity and respect for individuals. In healthcare settings, for example, “language access is not just an interpreter in the exam room. There are so many other interactions patients have in order to receive care.” Their work is especially important in Washington, where over 200 languages are spoken. In the current political climate, the challenges to ensuring language justice have increased exponentially, and WASCLA welcomes all those interested in developing new ways forward. (fb)