Faces of SAL: Molly Suhr
December 11, 2019
We are fortunate to have a team of people who help make SAL happen—each of these people plays a very special role at SAL! Molly Suhr has been a behind-the-scenes grant writer with SAL since September 2018. Read on to learn what books she’s been loving lately and discover her hidden talent (hint: it involves her yard!).
Tell us a bit about the work you do for SAL…
I write proposals and applications to private foundations and public funding agencies to seek grant support for SAL’s programming and operations. I also write the final reports to funders to let them know how their grant was used and the impact it made in our community. Another important aspect of my work is researching potential funders whose focus area and giving interests align with SAL and its mission.
What’s your favorite SAL project so far and why?
I feel so proud to be part of this amazing organization and to support all of the great work SAL is doing to champion literary arts in our region. SAL’s Writers in the Schools (WITS) program is especially near and dear to my heart. It’s such a powerful program that is truly making a difference in young people’s lives—giving them the skills to creatively express themselves and find their voices.
Tell us about what you do when you’re not grant writing for SAL…
I write grants for several other non-profits, including some local arts organizations. Most of my 25+ years in the industry have been devoted to raising funds for the arts, which I’m passionate about. I think it’s important now more than ever for people—especially young people—to be able to experience the arts to help them better see themselves, empathize with others, and make sense of this complex world we live in.
What do you love to read?
I love to read historical fiction and non-fiction (that reads like fiction!). It’s such a fun and engaging way to learn about our past and how it relates to our present. Some of my recent favorite reads have been Killer of the Flower Moon by David Grann, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I was so bummed that I was out of town and not able to attend SAL’s Literary Arts Series event with Amor Towles. His writing is so humorous and endearing! Hoping to catch Min Jin Lee, though, when she appears with SAL in March!
What’s your hidden talent?
Well, not sure I’d call it a “hidden talent,” but I enjoy creating large floral arrangements with clippings of natives and ornamentals from my 2-1/2 acre lot. I find it very meditative and nurturing, slowly walking though the garden focusing on nature. This time of year is my favorite, with the dried grasses, red berries, pinecones, and fragrant cedar branches.