Chess for Success

Last Thursday we held our Annual Game Changer Fundraiser and it was a huge success! We celebrated 30 years of official operations with cake, wine, inspirational speeches, and recognition of those who have helped us reach this milestone. We also surpassed our goal and raised over $76,000!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us celebrate and anyone who has been a part of our journey these past 30 years!! We couldn't do it without you!

Please join us next Thursday, April 16th, to celebrate our 30th birthday! We are so proud of 30 years of operations and all of the students we have been able to support. However, the funding landscape is rough right now and we NEED YOUR HELP to keep supporting students for another 30 years!

Tickets are free to attend Game Changer using the link below!

https://event.auctria.com/d0c04666-5dbe-487f-a8d1-e1e3c857ac0b/aa6cd270-8751-11e9-a741-3fcfcb35cbb0

If you are unable to attend please consider making a "birthday gift" in lieu, we need our community to continue stepping up in this time of need!

Tickets are now live for our annual celebration and fundraiser, Game Changer! We hope you'll join us April 16th as we celebrate our 30th year of programming!

Buy tickets with the QR code or here: https://Gamechanger2026.fundraiser.support

Our FY25 Annual Report is out now! For the full version you can use the link below:

https://linktr.ee/chessforsuccess #548437045

Last weekend was our Vangie Shaw Memorial, Girls Play Chess tournament! It was SO much fun!! Thank you to everyone who came out this weekend and spent their Saturday with us. And congratulations to all of our state qualifiers!

We're so excited that tournament season is here!! We hope to see you at one soon!

And if anyone who was at the tournament has any stories or photos to share please feel free to use this form: https://forms.gle/Dmm8i8Rtv6mBHWsX8

Save the date! Our annual fundraising and celebration event, Game Changer, will be held April 16th at Heavenly Creatures Wine Bar! Keep your eye out for more details soon! We hope to see you there.

Our annual Vangie Shaw "Girls Play Chess" Tournament is in just over 2 weeks! We're super excited for this tournament as we love getting to celebrate our gals and non-binary pals in chess!

If you're interested in playing registration is now open! Head to our website for instructions and more details. Any questions can be directed to your coach or regional coordinator.

We can't wait to see you there!

Social Media- We hope you’re staying warm, safe, and joyful this holiday season. As our Year End Campaign comes to a close, we’re reaching out to ask for your help in crossing the finish line—and every gift truly makes a difference.

Your support helps ensure that students don’t lose access to a program that offers far more than chess. Our clubs give young people a place to build confidence, strengthen academic and problem-solving skills, and develop a true sense of belonging. They create community, connection, and confidence, allowing students to thrive.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation, sharing our campaign, or reaching out to learn about other ways you can support our work. Your involvement helps ensure that no student is left behind.

Support our programs today: https://chessforsuccess-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1391711

Last Friday was our first annual Chess and Cheer Night! It was truly so nice to be able to connect with everyone who came. For those of you who didn’t come, we wanted to share a few highlights

First, the fun had included craft making delight, socializing and snacking, and plenty of chess playing!

We also shared some info about our programming over the last year. Here’s a few highlights:

Our programs are growing! We served over 2,717 students last year, growing our programs by 10 and serving almost 350 more students than the previous year!

We re-housed the state tournament to accommodate more students qualifying! We both made the Girls Play Chess and City of Portland state-qualifying events. We also made the decision to qualify ALL third place finishes to state as well.

While we are incredibly proud of these accomplishments, we are also navigating a very tight budget and have had to make difficult cost-cutting decisions. We need your support to keep our programs running at the same high quality—and to continue growing and improving for the students we serve.

If you’re able, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support Chess for Success. Donate to our campaign here: https://chessforsuccess-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1391711