||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for GIVE ORCAS CAMPAIGN |||
This spring’s GiveOrcas campaign has been our largest request yet of the community to support many programs and projects that help our community thrive. We don’t take this lightly. We know it’s a big ask, and we know it’s a busy season and tumultuous time for many.
The nonprofit community is feeling a lot of uncertainty these days with changes at the federal level, and while we may not have a lot of control over what happens next, we can certainly rally support locally right now to lift up the organizations that make Orcas so special. Some provide services essential to community wellness and provide basic needs, and others are entirely volunteer-run and GiveOrcas represents a significant portion of their annual funding. Every contribution helps.
Collectively, we’ve come a long way! The community has given more than $250K, 45% of the total goal. Two grantee requests are fully funded, and a few are nearly there!
Congratulations to our Ben Franklin Day winners! The competition was fierce, and we’re grateful for each donor who contributed $100+ throughout the day!
- 1st place, $1,000 prize: Orcas Senior Center
- 2nd place, $500 prize: Orcas Community Resource Center
- 3rd place, $250 prize: Orcas Animal Protection Society
NEW GAME TOMORROW!
The Final Hours of Giving: Thursday, May 15
During the following hours tomorrow, we’ll draw a random donor and boost their gift by $250 to the same organization they gave to.
- 6 – 7 AM: Sunrise Prize
- 12 – 1 PM: Lunch Hour Prize
- 5 – 6 PM: Happy Hour Prize
- 10 – 11 PM: Night Owl Prize
Our community has already shown incredible generosity – and there is still more we can accomplish together! We hope you continue to join us in the power of collective giving at www.GiveOrcas.org.
P.S. Please join us for our annual ice-cream social to celebrate collective giving at the GiveOrcas Community Celebration and Youth Philanthropy Awards on Thursday, May 22, 3 – 5pm at Emmanuel Parish Hall & Labyrinth.
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In looking tonight at 10 pm, these nonprofits are still severely underfunded:
Safe San Juans – only about 1/6th funded.
Island Reproductive Health Initiative – only about 1/4 of the way funded
Orcas Animal Protection Society – not even halfway to their goal
Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation – only about 1/3 funded
Orcas Dance collective – only about 1/4 funded
Actors’ Theater – only about 1/5 funded
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild – not even 1/4 funded
Orcas I. Farmers Market (Pays the highest ‘rent/insurance on the Village Green in the state!) – between 1/3 and 1/2 funded
Halfway there:
OI Historical Museum – creeping toward halfway funded
Oddfellows hall – about halfway funded
Orcas Center’s FREE summer concert series – close to halfway funded
Orcas Island Library – halfway there
Many more not listed need help; it’d be fun to get randomly chosen to have any amount of $10 or over to get extra monies from your donation being randomly chosen – this happened to me once and it was a thrill to know that my puny donation helped one of these organizations! So many more were not even listed in this short list:
https://oicf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/grant
The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) and the Leadership San Juans non-profits are not asking for much, but do SO much to strengthen our community. Please consider them when donating.