Spring GiveOrcas grant campaign fully funded a full week before deadline

||| FROM MEGAN NEAL for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION |||

The Orcas Island Community Foundation’s 2021 Spring GiveOrcas grant campaign was fully funded last week with a week to spare! 255 donors contributed to the 24 proposals, funding a total of $231,031. Because of the generosity of those donors, local organizations can continue to support members of our community in diverse ways.

School-aged kids will benefit from increased post-pandemic programming at the Funhouse Commons, local seniors will continue to foster relationships through the Senior Center’s Buddy Check-In program, the Farmer’s Market can continue to provide a safe and lively outdoor shopping experience for locals and visitors alike, and the Orcas Center will re-open with a fresh set of stage curtains after a painfully long shuttered season. Those are just a handful of services and benefits our community will reap after another successful GiveOrcas campaign.

In addition to the catalog, the Orcas Island High School Senior Class announced their philanthropic awards. Each year, a local donor provides the graduating class with philanthropic funds and gives them the opportunity to support the programs that have made a difference in their lives. This year, they were given $10,000 to distribute. They chose to give $1,000 to the Orcas Island Food Bank, $1,000 to Islands’ Oil Spill Association, $2,000 to Orcas Fire and Rescue, $2,500 to OPAL Community Land Trust, $1,500 to SAFE San Juans, $1,000 to Orcas Senior Center, and $1,000 to Orcas Park and Recreation. Thank you to the graduating class of 2021! What a legacy you’re leaving!

On behalf of the Board and staff at OICF, we send our heartfelt thanks to those who generously contributed to this year’s campaign. With the help and support of this community, brighter days are ahead of us after a challenging and tumultuous year. We are continually amazed by the generosity of our neighbors. Thank you for supporting the non-profits in our community so they can continue to serve, feed, care for, protect, and enrich the lives of all our neighbors.