About Orcas Island Community Foundation
Fostering philanthropy to enhance and preserve the quality of life on Orcas Island. The Orcas Island Community Foundation encourages and supports local philanthropy and connects people and organizations to improve the quality of life on Orcas Island.
Focus Areas
healthcarefood securityeducationarts & cultureenvironmental conservationyouth developmentcommunity servicesnonprofit capacity building
Who They Fund
not specified / board-determined
Funding Style
board-directed discretionary grantsflexible/unrestricted support
About Orcas Island Community Foundation
A $3.6 million grant to Orcas Island Food Bank in 2025 stands out in the foundation’s recent record and points to its role as a major local funder on Orcas Island. Orcas Island Community Foundation makes board-directed grants across community needs, with support flowing to organizations in Eastsound and other Orcas Island-serving nonprofits. Its recent pattern includes substantial awards to Orcas Senior Center, OPAL Community Land Trust, Orcas Community Resource Center, and Orcas Center, alongside funding for arts, housing, and human services. The foundation’s grantmaking is built around flexible approvals, with many awards described as being for “various purposes as approved by OICF board.” That structure allows it to support operating needs, projects, and community initiatives through multiple channels, including the GiveOrcas campaigns, the Community Endowment Fund, and donor advised funds. Recent grants also show repeat support to the same organizations across several years, suggesting an ongoing relationship with local institutions rather than one-off project-only funding. The result is a grantmaker focused on the daily infrastructure of community life on Orcas Island: food access, senior services, housing, cultural programs, education, and nonprofit capacity.
What Orcas Island Community Foundation Funds
Food security is a clear priority. Orcas Island Community Foundation gave $3,624,259 to Orcas Island Food Bank in 2025 for various purposes approved by the board, placing basic needs at the center of its local grantmaking. Housing and homeownership appear through a grant of $1,939,549 to Opal Community Land Trust in 2024, also for board-approved purposes. That grant aligns with the foundation’s Community Loan Fund initiative, which is described as supporting home ownership and bridging housing affordability gaps. Community services and aging are another thread. The foundation awarded $923,996 to Orcas Senior Center in 2025, reflecting sustained support for senior-focused infrastructure on the island. Arts and culture also receive support. Orcas Center was funded at $325,090 in 2025 for board-approved purposes, showing that cultural institutions sit alongside human services in the foundation’s portfolio.
How Orcas Island Community Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster at a median of $17,650, with a lower quartile of $10,300 and an upper quartile of $66,420. That spread suggests a mix of smaller community grants and larger institutional support. The foundation is a mixed community foundation, and its grantmaking is board-directed and opportunity-driven rather than tied to a single open-program model. Recipients recur across years: Orcas Senior Center, Opal Community Land Trust, Orcas Community Resource Center, Orcas Center, Kaleidoscope Preschool, YMCA Camp Orkila, and Funhouse Commons all appear more than once in the recent grants list. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications in several active programs, including GiveOrcas Grants, LEAD, and annual endowment distributions.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.5M
Total Assets
$31.4M
Total Revenue
$10.5M
Total Expenses
$7.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $66K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$66K
Geographic Reach
Local15 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LINDSAY JENNINGS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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