International Women's Forum Celebrates Susan Hammer with a $400,000 Donation for Future Leaders

A Lasting Legacy: Honoring Susan Hammer

On January 7, 2025, the International Women's Forum (IWF), an influential organization representing over 8,200 top women leaders across 35 countries, announced a remarkable gift of $400,000 in honor of Susan Hammer, an esteemed member from Oregon. Known for her impactful work as a lawyer and mediator, Susan's legacy lives on through this substantial contribution, aimed at fostering future generations of women leaders.

Purpose of the Gift

The donation will serve two vital purposes: establishing the Susan Hammer Memorial Lecture series, focused on themes of peace and civil society, and creating the Susan Hammer IWF Oregon Fellows Endowment. This endowment will provide scholarships to candidates from Oregon willing to participate in the IWF Leadership Fellows Program.

The Susan Hammer Memorial Lecture

The inaugural lecture is set to be delivered at the IWF's World Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington, in May 2025, marking the beginning of an annual tradition. This series will spotlight women who have made significant contributions to fostering peace and advancing civil society, thus inspiring a new generation of leaders. Recordings of these lectures will also be made available on the IWF website, IWForum.org.

The IWF Leadership Fellows Program

The IWF Leadership Fellows Program, now in its 30th year, is renowned for catalyzing the potential of high-performing women and its robust global network of over 800 alumnae spanning 57 nations. This program serves as a critical tool for career development and succession planning, making the scholarship opportunities provided by the Susan Hammer Endowment even more important for aspiring women leaders from Oregon.

Impact on Women’s Leadership

“Susan was a remarkable leader and an integral part of the IWF community,” noted IWF Global CEO Stephanie O’Keefe. Susan’s enduring commitment to enhancing leadership opportunities for women and tackling societal challenges reflects her profound legacy. O’Keefe emphasized that this gift would continue to impact the lives of future leaders.

Kimberly Cooper, President of the IWF Global Board, highlighted Susan’s pioneering role as one of the first women lawyers and international mediators. Cooper remarked that it is fitting Susan's legacy would carry on through this initiative, ensuring that her values and mission to empower women will benefit many long after her passing.

About the International Women’s Forum

Founded in 1974, the IWF connects accomplished women leaders across a range of professions in 77 forums worldwide. It is the only organization of its scale focusing on fostering enduring relationships and knowledge-sharing among women in top leadership roles globally. To discover more about the IWF and their initiatives, visit IWForum.org.

With this generous donation, the IWF not only honors Susan Hammer's legacy but also opens doors for future leaders to thrive, grow, and make impactful changes in their communities and the world at large.