Stanford Hills
About Our Chapter
NCL, Inc., Stanford Hills Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members shall reside in Atherton, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, and Woodside. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Stanford Hills aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.
The Stanford Hills Chapter was the first NCL, Inc. chapter to be established in Northern California. We currently have over 380 members providing hands-on volunteer service for 32 philanthropic organizations in our local community. Our members contribute thousands of hours to our local community each year. Last year alone, Stanford Hills contributed over 12,000 hours of service!
Some of our annual events include:
- PHILANTHROPY FAIR
- ALL LEAGUE TEA
- SENIOR RECOGNITION
- INSTALLATION BRUNCH
- ALL LEAGUE RETREAT
OUR CHAPTER HISTORY
In December 1984, Deborah Boyd, prompted by her mother-in-law Ann Boyd, of the Burbank chapter, met with expansion Vice President Janet Killan, to explore the feasibility of a Northern California chapter of National Charity League-a first.
In April 1985 co-founders Deborah Boyd and Shari Emling hosted an informal coffee at which they shared the concept of NCL with 11 other women. The enthusiasm of Patroness Pat White from Westlake Village and that of former Ticktocker Linda Gardner-Crandall was contagious. Ten mothers and their daughters formed the Bay Area Prospective Chapter of NCL. Bettie Anle was assigned as our first regional director and our shepherdess.
By the end of the 1985-86 League year, we boasted 22 Patronesses with 17 Ticktockers. In 1986, we were granted Provisional Status for our chapter. In 1987, under the very able guidance of Gloria Ulrich, our name changed, as did our status: Charter Status was approved for the Stanford Hills Chapter. On December 16, 1988, Stanford Hills Chapter was incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit corporation.
Join Our Chapter
Interested in joining our chapter? Membership opportunities are dependent on chapter openings.
If you know someone in our chapter, talk to her about getting started, membership obligations and our membership drive timeline. If you do not know someone in NCL, you are invited to complete this Membership Inquiry Form.
For any questions regarding Membership, requests for transfers or assistance with connecting as a Sustainer, email us.
Mothers and their daughters (grades 7-12) participate in a program that embraces:
Community Service
We understand and serve communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits. Each NCL, Inc. chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to support through different volunteer activities.
We work with the following philanthropies:
- LifeMoves 9th Grade Focus
- Abilities United
- Acterra/Grassroots Ecology / 10th Grade Focus
- African Library Project
- Alexandra Chiles Foundation
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Association
- American Red Cross
- Animal Assisted Happiness / 7th Grade Focus
- Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula
- Cake4Kids
- Cantor Arts Center
- Children’s Health Council
- Collective Roots
- Community Services Agency / 9th Grade Focus
- Disaster Response
- Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) / 9th Grade Focus
- Fisher House / 11th Grade Focus
- Grateful Garment Project
- Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley
- Hidden Villa / 10th Grade Focus
- Hope Services
- Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV)
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Greater Bay Area
- Kids Read
- Lend a Hand
- Los Altos Community Foundation
- Los Altos History Museum / 8th Grade Focus
- Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
- Meals on Wheels (Peninsula Volunteers, Inc.)
- One Step Beyond, Inc.
- Operation Care & Comfort
- Operation Gratitude
- Our City Forest / 10th Grade Focus
- Palo Alto Art Center / 8th Grade Focus
- Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. (Crane Place Apartments) / 7th Grade Focus
- Period, Inc.
- Princess Project Silicon Valley
- Public Libraries
FOCUS – each grade supports several specifically focused philanthropies:
Senior Citizens
The Terraces of Los Altos & Animal Assisted Happiness, Crane Street Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. (7th Grade)
Children + Families
Palo Alto Art Center, Sunday Friends, Los Altos History Museum (8th Grade)
Communities in Need
Community Services Agency, LifeMoves, Ecumenical Hunger Project (9th Grade)
The Environment
Our City Forest, Hidden Villa, Grassroots Ecology/Acterra (10th Grade)
The Military + Families
Fisher House & Operation Gratitude (11th Grade)
Class Choice
Any NCL Philanthropy (12th Grade)
GLOBAL – all members support these philanthropies
- Abilities United
- African Library Project
- Alexandra Chiles
- American Cancer Society
- American National Red Cross
- Cake4Kids
- Cantor Art
- Children’s Health Council
- COVID-19 Disaster response
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hope Services
- Humane Society Silicon Valley
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- Kids Read
- Lend a Hand
- Los Altos Community Foundation
- Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
- One Step Beyond
- Peninsula Volunteers
- Period, Inc.
- Princess Project
- Public Libraries
- Reading Partners
- Resource Area For Teaching
- Ronald McDonald House
- San Mateo County Health Foundation
- Save Our Shores
- Shoes That Fit
- Sunday Friends
- Vista Center for the Blind
- Westwind Riding Institute
Leadership Development
We build capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop. Our leaders become successful in their education, career and communities by learning the necessary skills during their NCL experience.
Examples of skills developed include:
- Confidence
- Consensus building
- Team building
- Conflict resolution
- Event planning
- Parliamentary procedure
Our Chapter Board of Directors:
- President: Jessica Gowdy
Melissa Riley - President Elect: Luisa Smith
- Secretary: Jill Kohlmeier
- Treasurer: Wendy Chang
- Parliamentarian: Amy Heath
- Vice President Communications: Veronica Eguiluz-Schmidt
- Vice President Membership: Monique Edmondson
- Vice President Philanthropy: Ellen Dempsey
- Vice President New Members: Anna Anderson
- Vice President Ticktockers: Andrea Jones
Liz Bacchi - Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Amy Randazzo
VP Chapter Engagement: Compliance Officer:
Amy Randazzo Amy Heath
Members have opportunities to engage in experiences that build essential skills, such as confidence, consensus and team building, event planning, conflict resolution and parliamentary procedure.
Leadership activities in our Chapter include:
• personal development workshops
• team building activities
• class meetings
• meeting management proficiency
• job training
Age appropriate concepts include, but are not limited to, the following:
7th GRADE
Positive Self Image
• Team Building Activities
• Meeting Fundamentals
8th GRADE
Social Etiquette
• High School Preparedness
• Conflict Resolution
9th GRADE
Conversation Skills
• Personal & Online Safety
• Time Management Skills
• Interviewing Skills
10th GRADE
Body Language
• Safety – Public /Dating
• Automobile Awareness
11th GRADE
Personal Priorities
• Stress Management
• Life Balance
12th GRADE
Reflection of Core Personal Values
• College Preparedness & Safety
• Financial Management Skills
Cultural Experiences
We preserve National Charity League traditions and core values, while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures. We continually strive to build stronger ties with our communities and the individuals within them. It is through this understanding that we grow and develop broader worldviews that will shape and support our lives.
- Traditions – We celebrate the richness of our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.
- Values – We embrace values that make us strong as an organization of mother-daughter leaders.
- Community Connections – We build connections through experiences that impact our communities.
- Etiquette – We encourage and mentor kind, respectful and gracious social conduct.
We celebrate our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future. Activities of our Chapter include:
- All League Retreat
- All League Tea
- Cultural Events
- VIP Event (formerly Father Daughter Event)
- Grade Level Retreat
- New Member (first year) Orientation
- Senior Recognition
- Ticktocker Awards
- Ticktocker Leadership Training
7th GRADE
• Dance & Martial Arts
8th GRADE
• Theater: Musical / Play
9th GRADE
• Music: Choral / Instrumental
10th GRADE
• Fine Arts: Museum / Gallery
11th GRADE
• Stage: Comedy / Concert
12th GRADE
• Class Cultural Choice
Stanford Hills in the News
- St. Francis student creates project that connects youth with seniors – Los Altos Town Crier May 17th, 2023
- Los Altos High student combines dual interests in philanthropy, sports – Los Altos Town Crier, 2016
- Los Altos High student hopes to bring animal therapy to school – Los Altos Town Crier, 2016
- Princess Project offers prom dresses for girls low on cash
- LAHS student’s cakes support foster youth
- Mother-daughter duos flourish through National Charity League community service
- Local volunteer contributes time, expertise to charity league
- National Charity League chapter marks 25 years of local service
- Local teens honored for years of charity work
- Charity League brings together mothers and daughters to do good work