Over the course of nearly 45 years, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has supported more than 3,000 organizations to fulfill its mission of enriching the quality of life in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Recently, the Murdock Trust’s accomplished program director, Jan Kennedy Ferguson, retired after 20 meaningful years of service.A great asset to the Trust, Ms. Ferguson used her experience, dedication, and talents to help people across the Pacific Northwest. She served exclusively in one role for 20 years and succeeded in distributing $105,683,674 across 601 grants. This amount represents approximately 10 percent of the Murdock Trust’s total funding since it was founded.Ms. Ferguson guided various organizations through the grant application process and beyond so they could successfully execute their projects in the areas of arts, education, human services, and rural health. The organizations that benefited from Ms. Ferguson’s direction include the Portland Art Museum, Ruby Valley Hospital, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
For nearly 45 years, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has served individuals, families, and communities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, by offering grant awards to enrichment programs. One of the Murdock Trust's grant recipients is Saint Martin’s University, which received $800,000.According to the 2017 STEM Education Report Card published by the Washington State STEM Education Innovation Alliance, the state is experiencing growth in STEM-related jobs, but has continuously ranked low in producing graduates with STEM degrees. As a result, employers are forced to hire from out-of-state talent. The construction of a new and well-equipped science building will be instrumental in Saint Martin’s University’s efforts of meeting the nation’s demands for STEM graduates and boosting Washington’s economy. With the Murdock Trust’s grant, the university aims to build a 30,000-square foot science classroom and laboratory building that will be used by students, researchers, and faculty members for conducting classes and STEM research. The new building will be located near the Panowicz Foundry for Innovation and the E.L. Wiegand Laboratories where the current lectures and research on engineering and computer science are held. The new science building is expected to open in the fall of 2019, and will be the main hub for student-faculty research and collaboration.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has awarded more than $975 million to support educational, cultural, and social initiatives that focus on enriching the lives of the people in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The people behind the Murdock Trust share the organization’s goals of helping others live a full and meaningful life.As the Murdock Trust draws close to its 44th anniversary, the organization also wishes to celebrate the outstanding dedication and leadership of Jan Kennedy Ferguson as she steps down from her role as program director. Ferguson has been a tremendous leader and a role model to her staff and colleagues. During her tenure, Ferguson spearheaded the allocation of $105,683,673 to over 600 grants in the region. For 20 years, Ferguson worked closely with other nonprofits, public and private organizations, health care agencies, and schools, such as the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Thrive, RiverStone Health Foundation, Portland Art Museum, Union Gospel Mission, World Forestry Center, and many more. Ferguson’s extensive knowledge and her genuine interest in helping people will be truly missed.
