Category: What’s New

Help Us Reach Our Goal of Raising $15,000!

Imagine every child under age five on Whidbey Island having the opportunity to grow their own home library of high-quality books, igniting their love of reading and preparing them for success upon entering kindergarten. This dream is a reality for more than 1,000 young children on Whidbey, and you can play an important role in putting more books into the hands of our earliest learners.

Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF) is pleased to share that its sixth annual grant cycle will be open until Friday September 8^th, 2023. Any organization that operates with a charitable status or for a charitable purpose on Whidbey Island is eligible to apply for a grant. The organization does not need to have a headquarters or physical presence on Whidbey, so long as services are provided here.

This year, our Board of Directors has prioritized four distinct Grant Areas for funding: K-12 Education, Human Services, and Arts & Culture. Additionally, WCF recognizes the needs of our community extend broadly; we are also opening a 4th Open Area this year to any charitable organization serving Whidbey Island. K-12 Education Area, Human Services Area, and Arts & Culture Area applications will be considered for up to $10,000; Open Area applications will be considered for up to $5,000.

In collaboration with the Whidbey Community Foundation and Opportunity Council, Oak Harbor residents, George and Sheila Saul, recently opened a new fund to kickstart a pilot program providing support to Whidbey Veterans in obtaining full-time jobs. The Opportunity Council Island County Center will be administering the program.

June 9, 2022, was a momentous day for families and young children across Washington, as this day in history marked the official day the Imagination Library of Washington was signed into law by Governor Inslee, creating a statewide Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Whidbey Community Foundation (WCF) is excited to share that since becoming an affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library over 870 children on Whidbey have been enrolled! This program provides free books to all children under five in the county, regardless of family income.