MAVA’s closing has been a long time in the making. We first started getting serious about planning for the end of the foundation around 2015 and began communicating with all of you about these plans. Our grant-making ended in 2022 and after an additional 6 months to wrap things up smoothly, we arrive now at our final days with MAVA. We will ‘turn out the lights’ on the 30th of June.

Although we have had several occasions to exchange words of thanks and goodbye, let me take this opportunity to extend my thanks to all of our partners and friends for the collaboration over the years. I speak for all of us in saying that these relationships have been the high point in our time with MAVA and are part of what has made our work so fulfilling.

As we get closer to the last day, we are all frequently asked ‘how do you feel?’ The honest answer is that we all feel a big swirl of contradictory emotions: pride in what was accomplished together with all of you, sadness at having to say goodbye, excitement about what comes next for each of us as we all go our separate ways to new adventures, and already a bit of nostalgia for our great days representing MAVA.

Last week we had a farewell dinner with all current and former MAVA staff and board members (photo above). We all expressed our sense of satisfaction with the impact of the foundation over the years and our profound gratitude to all of you for making that happen.