by Brandi Mason
In August, Friendship Bridge lost one of our most dedicated supporters, Judy Snyder. Judy served as Circle Leader of the Boulder Circle in 2015. She was passionate about the wellbeing of our clients and a strong advocate for Friendship Bridge’s Legacy Circle.*
Judy first learned about Friendship Bridge in 2013 when former Board President, Sandy Younghans, met her at a Boulder Community Foundation event. The two hit it off, and after a breakfast meeting to learn more about our mission, Judy decided to take a trip to Guatemala to meet our clients. Fellow Boulder Circle Co-Leader, Rachel Bloombaum, said, “I felt an immediate connection when I met Judy down in Guatemala on an Insight Trip in spring of 2014. She expressed so much empathy for Friendship Bridge clients and their challenges, and was so pleased to find a cause she could support and an organization she could believe in. I miss her can-do attitude and her steady support for the activities of the Boulder Circle.”
The legacy of Judy Snyder now lives on through the Education Endowment of Friendship Bridge. Through her retirement fund, she left a generous gift to the organization, which is now invested in our Education Endowment, a fund that provides education resources to thousands of clients. Her legacy will ensure the financial strength and future of Friendship Bridge to create opportunities that empower women to build better futures.
The Friendship Bridge community has lost a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, but Judy’s legacy and “can-do” attitude will live on through our clients for generations to come.
*The Friendship Bridge Legacy Circle honors those who have made a planned gift to Friendship Bridge through their will, trust, or beneficiary designation (retirement account or life insurance). Legacy Circle members are recognized and honored through invitations to special VIP events, regular program updates from our President & CEO, and recognition in the Friendship Bridge annual report. If you have included Friendship Bridge in your estate plans or have questions about doing so, please contact Brandi Mason at 303-674-0717.
Through volunteering with Deutsche Bank’s Social Investment Funds Group in 2007, Brandi was first introduced to microfinance and served on the Board of Directors for the Microfinance Club of New York. Brandi has fundraised in paid and volunteer positions for multiple organizations including The New York Botanical Garden, Boulder County AIDS Project and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and holds a B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and two young daughters.
