Remembering Bridgette Hempstead

Bridgette Hempstead was a founding member of The Share Fund, joining the initial committee of five community members back in 2021. Bridgette came to this work with the care, intention and passion she brought to so many aspects of her life, not the least of which was her tireless fight for racial justice in healthcare. 

The Share Fund would not be what it is today without Bridgette’s wise, steady voice. She always knew exactly which groups and individuals in her community would benefit from Share Fund grants, and she was tireless in pushing all of us to spread the word about how participatory grantmaking can be a model for shifting and challenging gatekeeping in traditional philanthropy.

More than all of this, Bridgette was a friend, a mentor and a reason to attend Share Fund events. In spite of the pain, discomfort and uncertainty she was often living through, she showed up, often with a picture of her newest grandchild to share with the group. We will miss Miss Bridgette deeply, and will carry her lessons of power, of love and of endless advocacy for those left unserved through the work of The Share Fund now and into the future.

Stories of Bridgette’s Impact

You can read more about Bridgette’s impact below:

• A Legacy of Action: How Bridgette Hempstead Built a Movement of Mutual Support (2024),  South Seattle Emerald 
• “Saying goodbye to a community partner and friend” (2024), Fred Hutch Cancer Center
• How to power shift in philanthropy: Lessons from The Share Fund’s radical approach to participatory grantmaking, (2023) by Bridgette Hempstead