What is a community foundation?

Community foundations are uniquely positioned to be unbiased supporters of each and every nonprofit in the regions they serve. Recognizing that virtually every other city in the Puget Sound Region had a community foundation to harness the collective power of philanthropy and nonprofits, the founders of Whidbey Community Foundation believed deeply in the need to establish one here. Today, Whidbey Island finally has a community foundation of its own, too.

According to the Council on Foundations, community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. More than 750 community foundations operate in urban and rural areas in every state in the United States. Some 1,700 foundations exist in more than 50 countries worldwide.

As a trusted comprehensive resource for philanthropists, community foundations enable you to establish community funds, designated funds, nonprofit agency endowments and more, including “donor-advised funds” — revenue-generating depositories for your charitable giving that we help you and your family manage, honoring your charitable intentions even after you pass away.

As a reliable hub of information about local nonprofits, community foundations help people who want to make a charitable impact identify the causes that most inspire them. We provide information and options that take the guesswork out of where to dedicate your time, talent and treasure so you can make decisions with both your head and your heart. We engage individuals, families and businesses who want to support our Foundation and local nonprofits by creating your own funds as well as by making one-time or recurring donations or corporate sponsorships.